In today’s competitive landscape, standing out is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder, launching a startup, or establishing yourself as a freelancer, your personal brand acts as a magnet, attracting opportunities, clients, and connections. But how do you know if your personal brand is strong, clear, and impactful? The answer lies in running a Personal Brand Test.
This blog will guide you through an in-depth, reflective test to assess, refine, and amplify your personal brand. Whether you’re new to personal branding or seeking a reboot, this 1000-word guide will help you craft a compelling narrative and a strategy that sets you apart.
What Is a Personal Brand?
Before diving into the test, let’s define personal branding. Your personal brand is the perception others have of you, shaped by your actions, communication, values, and the image you project. Think of it as your professional reputation but enhanced with intentionality and consistency. A strong personal brand is authentic, memorable, and aligned with your personal and professional goals.
Why Test Your Personal Brand?
A personal brand test helps you:
Identify Gaps: Discover areas where your current brand doesn’t align with your goals.
Highlight Strengths: Leverage what’s working well to boost your visibility.
Create Opportunities: Stand out in your industry by emphasizing your unique value.
Ensure Authenticity: Align your outward persona with your true self, creating trust and consistency.
The Personal Brand Test: A Step-by-Step Framework
This test consists of self-reflection, feedback collection, and actionable insights. Grab a notebook or open a digital document, and let’s begin.
Step 1: Define Your Core Identity
Ask yourself the following:
What are my core values?
Write down the top five values that define you. These could be integrity, innovation, empathy, creativity, or perseverance.
What are my passions?
Identify activities or causes that excite you. Passion adds depth to your personal brand and makes it relatable.
What is my purpose?
Reflect on your “why.” What drives you to wake up every morning and pursue your career or business?
What makes me unique?
Consider your skills, experiences, and qualities that set you apart. How do these factors create value for others?
Actionable Insight: Condense these answers into a one-sentence personal mission statement. For example, “I help startups scale sustainably by merging creative strategies with data-driven insights.”
Step 2: Assess Your Current Brand
Next, evaluate the brand you’re currently projecting.
Google Yourself
Search your name online. What do the top results say about you? Are your social media profiles consistent with your professional persona?
Review Your Online Presence
Check LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. Does your content align with your core identity? Are your photos, posts, and tone professional and authentic?
Evaluate Your Network
Who are you connected with professionally? Your associations often reflect your brand. Are you engaging with thought leaders in your industry?
Actionable Insight: Create a list of changes to bring your online presence in line with your goals, such as updating your LinkedIn headline, curating posts, or adding professional visuals.
Step 3: Gather Feedback
Sometimes, others see us more clearly than we see ourselves. Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or friends and ask these questions:
What three words would you use to describe me?
What do you think I’m known for?
What do you see as my strengths and weaknesses?
Actionable Insight: Look for patterns in their responses. If there’s a gap between how you see yourself and how others perceive you, refine your brand strategy accordingly.
Step 4: Craft Your Visual and Verbal Identity
Visual Identity
Choose professional photos that reflect your personality and industry standards.
Design a simple logo or brand color scheme if relevant.
Verbal Identity
Develop a consistent tone and style. Are you formal, conversational, or inspiring?
Create a tagline that encapsulates your mission. For example: “Empowering professionals to lead with purpose.”
Actionable Insight: Use tools like Canva for visual branding and Grammarly to refine your written communication. Consistency in both visual and verbal identity strengthens your brand.
Step 5: Define Your Target Audience
A brand without an audience is like shouting into the void. Clarify who you’re trying to reach.
Who Needs Your Skills?
Identify the industries, companies, or demographics you want to engage.
What Problems Do They Face?
Outline their pain points. How can your expertise solve their challenges?
How Can You Reach Them?
Determine the platforms they use and the type of content they consume.
Actionable Insight: Tailor your messaging and content to address your audience’s needs. For example, a consultant might post case studies on LinkedIn, while a creative professional might use Instagram to showcase work.
Step 6: Build a Content Strategy
Your personal brand thrives on visibility. A robust content strategy amplifies your voice.
Educational Content
Share articles, tips, or tutorials in your area of expertise.
Storytelling
Post about your journey, lessons learned, or success stories.
Engagement
Interact with others in your field through thoughtful comments, collaborations, or shoutouts.
Actionable Insight: Commit to a content calendar. For example, post one insightful LinkedIn article per month and three Instagram updates per week.
Step 7: Track Your Progress
Building a personal brand is an ongoing process. Use these metrics to measure success:
Engagement Levels
Monitor likes, comments, and shares on your posts.
Opportunities Created
Track new connections, job offers, or speaking invitations.
Personal Growth
Reflect on how your brand has helped you grow professionally and personally.
Actionable Insight: Adjust your strategy based on what’s working. For instance, if Instagram isn’t yielding results but LinkedIn is thriving, shift your focus accordingly.
Step 8: Keep Evolving
Your personal brand should grow with you. Revisit this test every six months to ensure it aligns with your current goals and aspirations. Stay adaptable and open to new trends and opportunities.
Conclusion
Your personal brand is more than a logo or a tagline—it’s a reflection of who you are and what you stand for. By following this personal brand test, you can identify gaps, amplify strengths, and create a consistent, authentic image that resonates with your audience. Remember, the goal isn’t to create a façade but to let your true self shine in a professional and impactful way.
Take the time to invest in your personal brand today. The results—whether they come as new opportunities, meaningful connections, or personal fulfillment—are well worth the effort. Now, it’s your turn: run the test, refine your strategy, and let the world see the best version of you!
Over the last few weeks, I took several assessments, including Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), an Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the ENTJ Personality Profile from 16Personalities, and the Big Five Personality Test. Each provided unique insights into my strengths, areas for growth, and the interplay between my personality traits and my approach to leadership and teamwork. Reflecting on my personality assessments has given me a clearer understanding of who I am as an individual and a leader.
The 16PF assessment highlighted my tendency toward dominance and social boldness. Scoring high in dominance indicates that I am assertive, comfortable taking charge, and guiding others. My social boldness also suggests confidence in social environments, supporting my leadership abilities. However, my lower scores in sensitivity and vigilance reveal areas for improvement. I may overlook subtle emotional cues or be overly trusting, which could make me vulnerable in certain situations. My emotional stability score reflects my ability to remain composed, which is a significant strength in high-stress environments.
The Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire highlighted the importance of self-awareness and empathy in effective leadership. While I am confident in my abilities, I need to work on managing emotions under stress and cultivating empathy. These skills are vital for understanding others’ perspectives and improving relationships, which will help me become a more balanced leader.
The personality profile from 16Personalities describes me as a “Commander”, ambitious, strategic, and focused on achieving goals. I am comfortable taking charge, but I need to improve my emotional awareness to avoid overlooking the needs of others. My directness can be effective but may come across as insensitive, so developing empathy and patience is essential for becoming a well-rounded leader.
The Big Five Personality Test provided additional context. My low neuroticism score suggests that I am calm and composed, while my high extraversion score indicates sociability and energy. However, my low agreeableness suggests a focus on achieving goals over maintaining social harmony, and my low openness to experience indicates a preference for practical solutions.
As an ex-professional golfer and now an IT Project Manager, reflecting on these personality assessments has been informative. The results confirm my self-perception as someone who is driven, strategic, and comfortable leading others. Still, reflecting on this, I can see that some of my best traits as an athlete are some of my worst traits as a person. The emphasis on improving emotional intelligence and empathy challenges me to rethink my social approach, particularly in a team environment. Balancing my ambition with improved emotional awareness will be critical to success in my current position.
As a professional golfer, I learned to thrive under pressure, stay focused, and maintain discipline daily to succeed, qualities that have translated well into my role as an IT Project Manager. These questionnaires confirm that my strategic thinking and resilience are strengths that I still use from my athletic career. However, the need to develop empathy and emotional awareness is an area I didn’t focus on as much during my golf career. Several research results prove that high-achieving athletes are those who have personality traits such as being achievement-oriented, disciplined, and persistent. (Ali Maksum, 2023)
Speaking with my family first and asking how they see the result from the above tests and do they agree or challenge the results. My colleagues appreciate my decisiveness and strategic mindset but also agree that working on empathy would help me connect better with the team as, at times, I can be more ‘work orientated” when working on projects and sometimes have a ‘tunnel vision’. My family sees the results as a true reflection of my driven nature and how hard I work on things, they again agree my empathy is something that needs to be worked on as at times I can be ‘callous’ and ‘narcissistic’ at times, but also see that at times when I was working towards a professional career I had to have be in that mindset daily to succeed, now that I am retired it is now a perfect time to work on this and as an aspiring project manager this will help in my future career.
More strengths of mine that I can see from myself and the assessments are leadership, strategic thinking, emotional stability, and social confidence. These traits make me effective in driving projects forward and leading teams. These traits make me drive projects effectively and take the lead with teams. On the other hand, I have to develop more empathy and emotional awareness. This understanding of other people’s needs and making changes in my style of communicating would turn me into a much more effective leader. Focusing on how to enhance one’s emotional intelligence, I believe, would provide an impulse and support for others.
I was looking at more of my core strengths, such as strategic thinking, assertiveness, and emotional stability. These qualities are essential for effective team leadership. My high scores in dominance and social boldness from the 16PF, as well as the ENTJ traits, reinforce my ability to make confident decisions and lead with a strategic focus. Additionally, my low neuroticism score from the Big Five shows my ability to stay calm under pressure, which is vital for maintaining stability in challenging situations.
The results underlined some important development areas, especially empathy and emotional awareness. Low scores on sensitivity and agreeableness suggest improvement in understanding and getting along with others on an emotional level. It is through the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire that I now realise successful leadership is not only about achieving results but equally about the understanding and inspiration of people. Sometimes, I am direct and results-oriented to a fault, sacrificing in my ability to develop a cohesive, supportive team environment. This stems from playing a sport that is very much individual-based, and while surrounded by a team when on the course, it was mostly just me.
The Deep Dive
A core developmental need identified in my assessments is improving my empathy, which is crucial for my career as a project manager, particularly in leading teams. The emotional intelligence questionnaire highlighted empathy as a vital component of effective leadership, enabling a leader to understand and respond to the emotions of team members. This awareness can foster better relationships and enhance team cohesion, which is critical for project success.
My Big Five results also underlined low agreeableness; hence, I am driven to accomplish goals at the possible expense of social harmony. One, therefore, needs to work on improving the ability to consider other people’s needs and modify his behaviour correspondingly to ensure an environment that is good and conducive to working. Motivational, strategic, and results-oriented, as an ENTJ, my direct approach can sometimes border on being too blunt or insensitive at times, which could discourage other team members and affect their productivity negatively.
Empathy is essential for effective project management because managing a team involves understanding the diverse needs, motivations, and challenges of individual members. It helps in building trust, increasing engagement, and ensuring that each member feels valued. When team members believe their leader genuinely cares about them, they are more likely to be motivated, collaborative, and productive. Empathy also aids in conflict resolution, as understanding different perspectives can lead to fairer and more effective solutions.
Improving empathy would not only help me connect more effectively with my team but also enable me to create a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. This is particularly important in high-pressure projects, where emotional support and recognition can significantly impact team resilience and performance. Being assertive yet empathetic will enable me to better motivate my team, inspire loyalty, and achieve success through collaboration rather than mere direction.
Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence, which has been widely studied for its impact on leadership, team dynamics, and decision-making. Goleman introduced the concept of emotional intelligence, arguing that effective leadership involves not only technical skills but also the ability to understand and manage emotions. Empathy enables leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level, leading to improved morale, greater trust, and enhanced team performance. (Goleman, 1996)
In project management, empathy significantly influences project outcomes. Clarke from the School of Management, University of Southampton, found that emotionally intelligent project managers who demonstrate empathy are better at handling team conflicts, maintaining motivation, and fostering a collaborative environment. (Clarke, 2010) These factors directly impact project success by promoting higher engagement and reducing turnover. Empathy also supports effective communication, which is crucial in managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring team alignment with project goals. (Mülller & Turner, 2010)
Empathy can be evaluated through tools such as 360-degree feedback assessments or behavioural observation by peers and supervisors. In my role, developing empathy will improve my ability to resolve conflicts, support my team emotionally, and facilitate better collaboration. Research suggests that empathetic leaders are more effective in conflict resolution, building team cohesion, and enhancing performance outcomes. From my research, empathy is among the most critical leadership traits, having a great impact on the outcomes of projects entrusted to a given leader, the motivation of the team, and, finally, leadership effectiveness. As I focus on building empathy, I want to create a positive collaborative environment that fuels project success and develops a strong, working team where their growth and well-being will be fostered accordingly.
Developing empathy is essential for me as a project manager because it directly affects my ability to lead effectively, particularly in managing teams through complex projects. Empathy allows me to connect with my team members on an emotional level, fostering a sense of trust and psychological safety. When team members feel that their concerns are understood and valued, they are more likely to remain engaged, motivated, and committed to the project. This, in turn, can lead to better overall team performance and a positive work environment.
Empathy is also crucial in navigating conflicts, which are inevitable in any team setting. Having an understanding of all perspectives will make it possible to confront conflicts constructively and fairly, making sure solutions are balanced and considerate of everyone’s needs. This approach not only resolves immediate issues but also strengthens team relationships in the long term. Showing empathy empowers me to notice and understand when team members struggle with motivation, which encourages me to give them help in those aspects when they need it before the challenges damage either their productivity or their well-being.
Moreover, as projects become increasingly complex and involve diverse stakeholders, the ability to understand different viewpoints is invaluable. Empathy helps me communicate more effectively with stakeholders by acknowledging their needs, concerns, and motivations. This understanding fosters collaboration and ensures that everyone is aligned with the project’s goals, reducing resistance and improving outcomes.
This will also further balance my natural assertiveness, which at times can come off as blunt or goal-focused. With stronger empathetic skills, I could also develop a leading style that was both decisive and considerate, thus creating a more harmonious and productive team environment. Ultimately, it is with empathy that I will be able to become a more adaptable and effective leader, inspiring and guiding my team in times of trial while keeping strong, positive relationships.
To improve empathy, I will implement a behavioural plan focused on daily practice and feedback. First, I will actively listen during team meetings, ensuring I give my full attention and avoid interrupting. I will also ask open-ended questions to understand team members’ perspectives better and show genuine interest in their challenges. To gain insights into my empathetic behaviour, I will seek regular feedback from colleagues through informal check-ins and 360-degree feedback assessments.
I will make a conscious effort to observe body language and emotional cues during conversations, especially when team members are facing challenges. This will help me better understand unspoken emotions. I will also focus on offering support by proactively checking in with team members who may be struggling, helping or simply listening without judgment. Additionally, I will practice summarising what others share to ensure I understand their perspective accurately. Keeping a record of these interactions will allow me to identify patterns and refine my approach, reinforcing consistent growth in empathy.
Plan of Action
My primary goal is to significantly enhance my empathetic abilities within the next six months. This goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). To break it down further, I aim to improve active listening, emotional awareness, and supportiveness toward team members. I will gather feedback from at least three colleagues every month to gauge improvement in my empathy and track weekly reflections in a journal to monitor progress. I will set aside at least 15 minutes daily for empathy-related activities such as practising active listening, reflecting on my interactions and journaling this as much as I can. Empathy is critical for team cohesion and project success, making this goal highly relevant to my role as a project manager. I aim to achieve significant improvement in empathy by the end of six months, as indicated by positive feedback from colleagues and observable changes in team dynamics. Research suggests that empathy is a crucial aspect of emotional intelligence, which directly influences team performance and leadership success. (Goleman, 1996)
This action plan involves giving at least 15 minutes every day to practise active listening with my team, minimising distractions, and summarising points to ensure that I understand everything. Active listening has been found to enhance interpersonal trust and reduce misunderstandings in team environments (Itzchakov & Kluger, 2017). Regularly, I shall hold one-on-one check-ins with team members to understand their problems and offer the necessary support, ensuring the conversations are driven by empathy. I shall maintain a daily empathy journal where I will log interactions, describe strengths, and note actions to be improved upon. I also seek to get feedback monthly from three colleagues on my empathetic behaviour based on their contributions to make adjustments in my approach and focus areas.
I will make sure to share my goals with my team and close colleagues and ask them for constructive feedback related to my empathetic behaviour. I will also create a mentorship relationship with the manager, who is very empathetic and someone great to learn how to lead a team with nearly 20 years of experience it. He will be great as he can give me constructive feedback and hold me accountable. I will also create an opportunity through which my team members can be open with their feelings and perspectives, which will further facilitate my growth in empathy by giving me more opportunities to understand and respond to their needs.
I will evaluate success by tracking several clear indicators. These include positive feedback from at least 80% of my colleagues regarding my empathetic behaviour, an increase in team engagement and morale as observed during meetings, and fewer instances of unresolved team conflicts. Empathetic leadership has been linked to increased job satisfaction and team cohesion, according to studies. (Kellet, et al., 2006) I will also measure success through consistent, positive reflections in my empathy journal, indicating growth in my empathetic interactions. Success will be achieved if I notice sustained improvements in team cohesion and my ability to understand and respond to team members’ emotions effectively.
Conclusion
In summary, my journey through various personality assessments has provided valuable insights into my strengths and areas for growth as a leader and project manager. I have recognised that my core competencies, such as strategic thinking, assertiveness, and emotional stability, serve as powerful assets that enable me to effectively lead and drive results. However, these assessments have also highlighted the importance of empathy and emotional intelligence as crucial elements for well-rounded leadership.
My strengths in decisiveness, resilience, and strategic focus have helped me thrive under pressure, both as a professional golfer and now as an IT Project Manager. However, I acknowledge that enhancing my empathetic skills is vital for fostering team cohesion, trust, and collaboration. The ability to understand and respond to my team members’ needs will not only improve my leadership effectiveness but also create a supportive and motivating environment for everyone involved.
My action plan is designed to cultivate empathy through practical steps such as active listening, emotional awareness, and regular feedback. By committing to these daily practices and seeking input from colleagues, I am confident that I can enhance my emotional intelligence and grow as a more considerate, adaptable leader.
Empathy is not only about being understanding but also about strengthening relationships and enabling others to thrive. As I work towards improving this crucial aspect of my leadership style, I aim to create a balance between achieving goals and ensuring my team feels valued and supported. This journey toward emotional growth will undoubtedly help me become a more effective and inspiring leader, capable of achieving success through meaningful connections and collaboration.
Project governance refers to the system of management and the structure through which decisions are made to guide a project to its objectives using accountability, transparency, and stakeholder alignment (Müller, 2016). The nature of public scrutiny given to the Irish Water Meter Scheme has meant that the functions of governance arrangements were especially paramount. Good governance helps in maintaining decision-makers aligned both with the project’s goals and, more generally, with stakeholders. The Irish Water project epitomised how even hurriedly passed legislation, at times without much public contribution towards a decision, can affect the trust of and compliance by citizens (Bekker, 2009). A properly instituted governance framework, which should have been constituted on stakeholder involvement, regular reviews, and open channels for decision-making, could have avoided all negative perceptions from the general public and resultant political backlash. This helps governance structures maintain their legitimacy and accountability in all public projects, as stressed by Müller. This will further allow more balance between efficiency and the public interest if there are structured practices of governance included in the project.
Financial Management and Cost Control
It is also important in gaining project sustainability and public trust in financial management, particularly in the public sector. The Irish Water Meter Scheme had plenty of challenges related to cost overruns; one of them was the so-called “consultant fees” of €86 million, which caused outrage among the public (Flyvbjerg, 2012). Cost management failure in various construction projects warns about the need for tight control in financial management to avoid the misallocation of resources and to keep costs from spiralling upwards (Martinsuo, 2014). Large project cost control involves comprehensive budgeting, periodic auditing, and timely correction in case the budgets are running off prediction. Financial strategies, for instance, would entail a clear cost-control strategy to avoid sudden financial pressures by closely monitoring actual expenditure against forecasted expenditure and taking remedial measures where there are deviations. Perhaps Irish Water should have adopted a value-management approach to ensure money was spent on key infrastructure rather than on consultants. Public projects benefit from value-for-money analyses and priorities that invest in long-term infrastructure improvements. Regarding this, effective cost control enhances not only financial transparency but also public trust in fiscal prudence about projects.
Leadership and Strategic Vision
Leadership has to play a very important role in aligning project objectives with those of organisational and public expectations. Effective leadership means to define a clear vision, communicate that vision to others, and change strategies according to emerging problems and resistance (Turner, 2005). In the Irish Water Scheme case, strategic leadership could have been more influential in gaining a better degree of public support and trust in the project’s goals. Research Studies have shown that to be successful, leaders of public-sector projects need to balance technical capability with the ability to engage and motivate stakeholders (Geraldi, 2018). For example, the Irish government may have framed the project as one that was essential to the environment as well as economically viable; thus, the public’s perception was such that the project was indeed the necessary next step in sustainability. The idea is that in strategic communication, the long-term benefit of projects for which immediate costs are more salient while the benefit is less salient should be emphasised. Besides, a good leader should be flexible and listen to public sentiments, which may need a reconsideration of certain project plans or messaging. In this regard, project leaders within the Irish government might have devised segmented communication strategies or staged implementation to quell the growing anxieties of the public.
Public Policy and Regulatory Impact
The nature of public sector projects is often driven by policies and regulatory frameworks set for defining the scope, processes, and outcomes of projects (Winch, 2014). The Irish Water Meter Scheme was driven mainly by the compulsion to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive that called for improvements in water management in member states. However, policy implementation without the phased approach raised problems in poor public acceptance of the project and instigated instability. Policies that provide the pathway to sustainable management also tend to come with inflexible timescales and strict budgets, which offer little leeway for a project to accommodate all stakeholders. In this regard, regulatory frameworks work best, according to Müller (Müller, 2015). when they come with a clear indication of direction yet allow for some room for specific adaptability to the projects in question. Maybe in the case of the Irish Water scheme, a more flexible regulatory approach allowing for gradual compliance and pilot projects would be conducive to improving public buy-in. Policies also tend to be successful over more extended periods – provided, of course, that their conception and construction fall within the social and cultural contexts of the concerned stakeholders. One such construction of the current review of water charges in Ireland will be the principle of fair non-duplication. Therefore, aligning the public policy with the local and regional socio-economic realities becomes another very important insight for PM compliance with its local acceptance.
