Whether you’re early in your career or have more than 20 years of experience, one thing remains constant: career development should not be something employees expect their company to fully own or drive on their behalf. You are responsible for steering your own career growth; and that inherently means curating and owning your personal brand.

For many professionals, however, personal branding as a concept has been misunderstood. It’s often associated with self-promotion, ego, or the pressure to stand out. My challenge to that thinking is simple: personal branding can become all those things, but only if you approach it the wrong way.

When done correctly, personal branding is the ultimate test of self-awareness. It is a disciplined practice of understanding who you truly are, what you bring to the table, and how you want others to experience working with you.

What is Personal Branding?

The way I personally define personal branding is this: it is the perception or emotion held by someone other than you that reflects the complete experience of having a relationship with you and your work.

If you are not intentionally shaping and managing your personal brand, then others are doing it for you. And this is where frustration often sets in; when the perception of who you are is inaccurately defined by others simply because you did not take ownership of the narrative.

Actively managing your personal brand offers powerful benefits to your career development:

• It helps establish your authentic professional style.
• It builds credibility with your audience, your peers, and your direct reports.
• It differentiates you from others by highlighting your distinctive strengths.
• It clarifies what you stand for and allows you to focus your energy with purpose.

How Does Personal Branding Drive Career Development?

Establishing Your Authentic Style & Voice

When you’ve taken the time to develop real self-awareness and identify your distinctive strengths, you gain the confidence to define how you want to show up in the corporate world. This includes your leadership style, the way you manage expectations, how you communicate, and the type of leadership voice you want to embody.

You no longer feel the need to imitate someone else’s approach simply because you’ve seen it work for them. Instead, you develop a grounded sense of confidence; the kind that comes from knowing your authentic style and understanding how to use it to create meaningful, honest impact at work.

Building Credibility with Your Audience or Direct Reports

Once you’ve established your authentic style and leadership voice, you naturally present yourself as more credible and trustworthy: whether you’re addressing a broad audience or leading your direct reports. The consistency with which you show up day after day helps others understand how to work with you effectively.  That predictability becomes a foundation for stronger relationships, making it easier for trust to develop and be reciprocated.

Separating Yourself from Your Peers

Another reason your distinctive strengths are so important to identify is that they become the foundation of the personal brand that sets you apart. The goal here is not self-promotion or ego; it’s self-understanding. When you have a clear picture of your strengths, you gain the confidence to approach your projects and responsibilities in a way that leverages what you naturally do best.

As a result, your performance improves, the quality of your work increases, and the impact you make becomes more visible. Over time, your manager and others around you begin to recognize the unique value you bring: the value that only you can deliver.

Defining What You Stand For, Allowing You to Focus Your Energy

When you gain clarity about who you are and the purpose behind your personal brand, your work stops feeling transactional. Instead of simply completing tasks, you begin to approach your work with a sense of meaning and intention. You actively look for purpose and value in what you do each day. This mindset shift fuels a more positive and resilient approach to your responsibilities. It gives you the energy, determination, and spirit needed to push through obstacles and overcome project barriers; ultimately increasing your ability to deliver meaningful, successful outcomes in your career.

• Jissan Cherian, DVERSFY

Jissan Cherian is a global marketing executive, speaker, and founder of DVERSFY™, with more than twenty years of business experience at Microsoft, Deloitte, GSK Consumer Healthcare, and Haleon. Known for building iconic consumer brands and high-performing teams, he blends strategic vision with a passion for people development. His expertise spans marketing, personal branding, corporate advancement, and strategic influence. Having worked with talent in early-career, mid-career, and entrepreneurship, Jissan is on a mission to develop the next generation of inclusive leaders.

Cherian earned his BBA from The University of Texas at Austin in Management Information Systems, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University in Marketing and International Management, and an Executive Certification from MIT in Artificial Intelligence. He is committed to empowering professionals to accelerate growth and build authentic leadership. He is a sought-after speaker and expert on personal branding.