The Authority Advantage

Personal branding can give you a competitive advantage because it builds trust.

Many good leaders balk at the notion of personal branding. For example, Patti Brennan, CEO of Key Financial, Inc. and a Forbes top-ranked wealth advisor, once saw such efforts as “egotistical.” However, she came to realize that if she didn’t try to share her expertise with people outside her current sphere, potential clients wouldn’t know about her, or they might fall prey to advisors with less experience or with nefarious intentions. 

Having a personal leadership brand allows Brennan to create influence on a larger scale. This, she discovered, gives her a competitive advantage over other advisors and a solid foundation of trust with her clients.

Public trust in experts matters more now because trust in institutions is at an all-time low. Gallup reports that only 27% of adults have confidence in large organizations, including media conglomerates, government agencies and big banks. People want to deal with other people, not with corporations. That means a wealth advisor who promotes a personal mission to help others navigate...