“Be Your Best”

Posted by Rahna on August 16, 2010 under Branding, Leadership, Personal Branding | Be the First to Comment

Summer camp rocks.

You spend all day doing every fun activity you can possibly think of wanting to do—rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, waterskiing, soccer, tennis, sailing, “rocks & ropes,” lacrosse, basketball, kayaking, 24-hour games of “capture the flag,” woodsman adventures, roasting marshmallows for S’mores, arts ‘n crafts, and archery.  What more could you want out of life?

Those activities also teach important life skills along the way, skills like teamwork, trying new things, facing challenges, camaraderie, overcoming fears, building friendships and physical mastery of various sports.

My son goes to a camp in Maine that structures its activities and programs around four pillars, one of which is the concept of “Be Your Best.”  On Friday nights around the weekly “Council Fire,” the counselors impart wisdom by discussing this principal within the context of the daily fun they are having.

But this principle also applies to your branding efforts.  “Be Your Best” is about trying your hardest, doing your best in everything that you do.  At camp, this translates into orderly cabins ready for daily inspection and striving for excellence in all activities.  For your brand, it means putting your best foot forward constantly improving what you bring to your marketplace. 

At camp, counselors are careful to encourage a spirit of friendly competition, one that builds campers up without denigrating the others.  In corporate programs that I give, I talk about being professional as a key ingredient to developing a strong personal brand that furthers your business success.  You can work to “Be Your Best” in your client dealings, in your presentations and your management of your teams, all the while still honoring the others on your team.  Respect your talents (as well as others) and honor the fact that you do things in a unique and wonderful way.

So if you ever went to camp, think back to the days around the Council Fire as you are thinking about building and delivering your brand….and if you never went to camp, just pull your laptop up to a fireside and read this blog post to get the same feel!