Sometimes sharing business accomplishments may feel like tooting your own horn, but a recent virtual meeting of the Women Executives in Building aimed to sway leaders from this opinion.

That’s because sharing accomplishments and good news not only is necessary to allow staff and colleagues to celebrate awards and milestones with you, but it’s also necessary for personal branding.

“You have to be ready to tell people your accomplishments,” said Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President & CEO of NIBS. The Women Executives in Building virtual leadership meetings take place every quarter.

The recent meeting on building a personal brand featured speaker Cheri Bomar, Executive Vice President & General Counsel with Hardy World, LLC, which is part of 84 Lumber Co.

Bomar shared that getting projects off the ground – no matter what was asked – has been core to building her brand.

“I wasn’t afraid of new opportunities,” Bomar said. “I never said no to anyone at [84 Lumber Co.]. I would do the research and learn what was needed.” Many leaders struggle with what to share on social media. They don’t want to seem like they’re bragging, and they want their work to speak for itself. “I’ve learned to share and ask for input,” said Vicki Worden, CEO of Green Building Initiative, mentioning that a social media presence can help establish authenticity.

It takes work and effort to carefully curate a personal brand. And sometimes, it’s just easier to share the accomplishments of others, including your staff or board members.

“If we’re not going to promote ourselves, then we need to promote others,” Woods said. “Sharing their story builds their brand. It’s an important step.” Other ways to build your brand, according to the Women Executives in Building:

• Leverage the relationships you’ve built with various institutions.
• Share your success stories beyond your personal family-and-friend circle.
• Elevating your accomplishments doesn’t need to sound like you’re rehashing your resume.
• Look for good examples of professionals on LinkedIn who can serve as mentors.
• Younger professionals are putting themselves out there. You can, too.

The next meeting of the Women Executives in Building takes place May 25.