The recent Wikileaks proclamation that Hillary Clinton has a public opinion and a private opinion shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone because if we are being honest with ourselves, almost all of us are different in private than what we are in public. And, I would say that even within the different areas of our public and private lives, we have different personas.
What do I mean?
I mean that I am sure in your professional life and career, you have one set of things going on.
In your the life you lead with your friends, you likely put on a different face.
And, if you are at home, you maybe have an entirely different image than you do in other places.
This is really just normal.
But with the blurring of lines between areas of our life that social media, the Internet, and our always on culture has provided us with, it has become more and more difficult for any of us to know where one persona ends and another begins.
That means that we have to be a lot more thoughtful in our efforts to create the brand that we want the world to see.
This applies equally to brands as well as individuals.
If you are posting jokes and pictures and memes about things that aren’t necessarily in the line of your professional work, do they hurt you? Or, do you do them as a way to humanize you and your brand?
If you have an issue that is important to you, do you share it in a manner that is meaningful and shines a light on an issue in a manner that helps other people? Or, is your cause something that is just a rant into a blowing wind for most people?
Or, do you manage to draw a distinct line that says, this is who I am? I’m not always on, but when I am you know that, but I trust you enough to understand that I have my likes, dislikes, thoughts, and concerns…just like everyone else?
In other words, have you become a crazy cat lady while no one is looking? Or, did you manage to pull off the task of making your public image seem real?