Values & Your Personal Brand

Two months ago I read a blog post from Tony Hsieh (the CEO at Zappos.com) titled "How Twitter Can Make You A Better (and Happier) Person" about values that has shaped the way I communicate.

Zappos came up with 10 core values to define their company culture, and Tony has then used these same values as his own personal values as well:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

By embracing these values as his personal values, this has meant that Tony is less likely to complain or vent in his communications (be that Twitter or in face-to-face communications), because it is not in line with the Zappos core values. He instead will step back and try and find humour in a "bad" situation and re-frame the experience in a more positive light.

I think this is a great approach in terms of ensuring your communication is portraying you in a positive light and aiding in building up a personal brand you are proud of. By adopting this approach, I have found that I feel happier and am more inclined to not let a "bad" situation get me down but to instead focus on what can be learned or gained from it. Thanks Tony for some great inspiration.