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Don't Upstage the Boss!
By Catherine Kaputa
An interesting news story in September, 2006 (at least in the New York tabloids) was Donald Trump saying “You're fired!” to his Apprentice co-star, Carolyn Kepcher. No doubt some of the contestants who got the boot from Trump's firing squad helpmate on the hit show felt a tinge of glee as the self-proclaimed straight shooter self-destructed and had the tables turned on her.
So, what happened? According to one insider quoted in the media, “She became a prima donna. Being on ‘The Apprentice' went to her head. She was no longer focused on business. She was giving speeches for $25,000 and doing endorsements.” According to other insiders, Kepcher was not as dedicated to her main job running the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, New York as she was to building her personal brand, though her friends point out that all the travel was done on her own time.
I suspect that the real issue was Kepcher was playing too close to her boss' turf and getting a little too much of the limelight for a boss with a ego like Trump. After all, Trump is all about self branding, and he's a master at it. And Kepcher was starting to get a lot of attention in her own right. She wrote a best-selling book, “Carolyn 101: Business Lessons from ‘The Apprentice's Straight Shooter.” And she admits to angling for the open spot on “The View” and other TV opportunities. Kepcher even kept Trump waiting for four hours when she had trouble getting back from a speaking engagement according to reports. Not a smart move when you report to the Sun King.
There is a moral here for anyone who works for someone whether it's a difficult boss or easy-going one. Always remember the familiar adage, “Don't upstage the boss.” If you work in a company, your boss is your number one target market. Your boss has the most control over your self-brand (unless you have an internal network that's better than your boss, and practically nobody does or the boss would be reporting to you).
Here are 5 tips on how to successfully build recognition for yourself when you work in an organization from my book, “U R a Brand, How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success”:
- Focus on tactics that are low visibility externally, but high visibility internally. There are a lot of low-visibility tactics to achieve more visibility within your company and your industry. Start by taking a more active role internally, such as volunteering for cross-functional projects at work. Ask to participate in or lead corporate initiatives to which you can make a contribution.
- Recommend your boss for high-visibility venues. Always talk first to your boss about and recommend that he or she give high profile media interviews and keynote speeches (some may be passed on to you in any case).
- Make the media story about your team, not about you. When you are interviewed by the trade or business press or the internal website or newlsterr, make the focus the project or company initiative and the team, not about you. Credit will flow back to you, and you won't come across as self promoting.
- Play down your efforts to build your image. Don't volunteer that you've hired an agent or personal PR person to help you get on industry panels or in the trade press. Others in the organization will use it against you
- Keep an eye on your boss and the business at all times. Never forget that your key focus should be your day job, not your attempts to build your personal visibility.
Catherine Kaputa is a brand strategist and speaker. She is the author of U R a BRAND! How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success (www.urabrand.com). Kaputa is founder of SelfBrand, a brand and media consultancy that works with companies, products, and individuals (www.selfbrand.com).
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