oway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an

As a business coach I work with a wide variety of people. My clients come from diverse backgrounds, have a multitude of talents, operate in a broad range of business models, and talk about their successes very differently. It is from these distinctions that powerful strategies are born.

The reasons that professionals choose to work with a business coach stem from an assorted array of issues that include: a lack of happiness at work, a frustration in trying to motivate others, and a struggle to attract new business. While individual and organizational challenges come in many shapes and sizes, the key to solving them often lies in the ability to identify and address uniqueness.

THE BEAUTY OF UNIQUENESS

When you understand yourself, it becomes much easier to find or create the circumstances to make yourself happy. When a leader in an organization has an in-depth understanding about the people on their team, it becomes easier to build on strengths. Armed with the knowledge of what makes you or your organization unique, you can develop a plan that leverages, and then communicates, how you are different. In business, a differentiated business plan will motivate and attract the right kind of employees and customers. Nobody wants to buy from, invest in, or work for an organization that does the same thing as the one across the street. When a business knows how it is distinct, it becomes easy to talk about their uniqueness with credibility and passion.

WHAT THE GURUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT KNOWING YOURSELF

A clearly defined identity "enables smaller units within large organizations, or neighborhoods within large cities, to have their own vision while still being encompassed by the collective vision.". . .The Leadership Challenge

Kouzes and Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge", state that people most admire those leaders with clear and strong beliefs. They add "You can't believe the messenger if you don't know what the messenger believes. People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience." They challenge with the question "how can you speak out if you don't know what to speak about?" They advise that to speak effectively, it is important to find your own true voice.

Joe Calloway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an

nges come in many shapes and sizes, the key to solving them often lies in the ability to identify and address uniqueness.

THE BEAUTY OF UNIQUENESS

When you understand yourself, it becomes much easier to find or create the circumstances to make yourself happy. When a leader in an organization has an in-depth understanding about the people on their team, it becomes easier to build on strengths. Armed with the knowledge of what makes you or your organization unique, you can develop a plan that leverages, and then communicates, how you are different. In business, a differentiated business plan will motivate and attract the right kind of employees and customers. Nobody wants to buy from, invest in, or work for an organization that does the same thing as the one across the street. When a business knows how it is distinct, it becomes easy to talk about their uniqueness with credibility and passion.

WHAT THE GURUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT KNOWING YOURSELF

A clearly defined identity "enables smaller units within large organizations, or neighborhoods within large cities, to have their own vision while still being encompassed by the collective vision.". . .The Leadership Challenge

Kouzes and Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge", state that people most admire those leaders with clear and strong beliefs. They add "You can't believe the messenger if you don't know what the messenger believes. People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience." They challenge with the question "how can you speak out if you don't know what to speak about?" They advise that to speak effectively, it is important to find your own true voice.

Joe Calloway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an

business, a differentiated business plan will motivate and attract the right kind of employees and customers. Nobody wants to buy from, invest in, or work for an organization that does the same thing as the one across the street. When a business knows how it is distinct, it becomes easy to talk about their uniqueness with credibility and passion.

WHAT THE GURUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT KNOWING YOURSELF

A clearly defined identity "enables smaller units within large organizations, or neighborhoods within large cities, to have their own vision while still being encompassed by the collective vision.". . .The Leadership Challenge

Kouzes and Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge", state that people most admire those leaders with clear and strong beliefs. They add "You can't believe the messenger if you don't know what the messenger believes. People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience." They challenge with the question "how can you speak out if you don't know what to speak about?" They advise that to speak effectively, it is important to find your own true voice.

Joe Calloway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an

encompassed by the collective vision.". . .The Leadership Challenge

Kouzes and Posner, authors of "The Leadership Challenge", state that people most admire those leaders with clear and strong beliefs. They add "You can't believe the messenger if you don't know what the messenger believes. People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience." They challenge with the question "how can you speak out if you don't know what to speak about?" They advise that to speak effectively, it is important to find your own true voice.

Joe Calloway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an

oway in "Becoming a Category of One" tells us that "Your customers see you as a commodity, just as they see every other business out there. You will continue to be seen as a commodity, and be forced to compete on price, until you do something that transcends being a commodity in the customers' eyes. Only when you differentiate yourself in a clear and powerful way can you become a Category of One company. What do you really stand for, when it comes right down to it, what's really important?"

Peter Montoya in "The Brand Called You" explains why this is not an easy task. "The trouble is differentiation goes against our natural human tendency to blend into the crowd, to emulate what others do because it's safe. For a Personal Brand that lets you dominate a market, you must go in the other direction, telling others why you're different from the crowd."

OK, HOW?

The challenge is not only to understand how you are different, but then to gain the courage to start doing more of the things that make you come alive. How do you uncover your unique leadership identity, find your own voice, pinpoint core values AND gain the courage to stand out?

The truth is that the process involves time and soul searching. There are many methods that are useful to help identify your uniqueness. Journaling, drawing, assessments, gathering feedback from friends and relatives, surveying clients, and focused questioning techniques can all be great starting points. Peter Drucker, in a 1999 article (reprinted in the January 2005 Harvard Business Review) titled "Managing Oneself", writes about a technique called feedback analysis that involves tracking key decisions and comparing them with results in order to identify strengths. There is no one right way; the more you engage in various self-discovery activities, the more insight you will glean.

The process of discovery is not easy to do on your own. You will enrich and shorten the process if you work in partnership with a professional coach or mentor that you trust and respect. A coach can help you look from new perspectives, see into blind spots, and create a safe environment to practice your new voice.

I wish you a year of discovery and breakthrough success.