“Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves—
their strengths, their values, and how they best perform”
In his book Management Challenges for the 21st Century (HarperCollins, 1999) Peter Drucker describes what will come to be the elements of Personal Branding. Using the model of WHY-HOW-WHAT model (popularized by Simon Sinek as the “Golden Circle”), here is how the essence of Personal Branding is conceptualized.
WHY: “We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity: If you’ve got ambition, drive, and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession—regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility. Companies today aren’t managing their knowledge workers’ careers. Rather, we must each be our own chief executive officer”.
HOW: “To do all of these things well, you’ll need to cultivate a deep understanding of yourself. What are your most valuable strengths and most dangerous weaknesses? Equally important, how do you learn and work with others? What are your most deeply held values? And in what type of work environment can you make the greatest contribution?”
WHAT: “Based on your strengths, work style, and values, how might you make the greatest contribution to your organization’s efforts? The implication is clear: Only when you operate from a combination of your strengths and self-knowledge can you achieve true— and lasting—excellence…”
(Extracts taken from “Managing Oneself” HBR article -January 2005, presenting Peter’s Drucker Management Challenges for the 21st Century)