All you have to do is look around you to know that brands are powerful. In fact, most people are so loyal to certain brands that they stick with them for life. If brand-name products can evoke that kind of loyalty, why can't people? Well, they can!

The truth is that we all have a personal brand whether we like it or not. Simply by being ourselves in the workplace, others perceive, think, and feel about us in a certain way. The question is whether we have created the personal brand we want.

This is especially important for those who hold leadership positions. If you lead others, the way they perceive, think, and feel about you as a leader, in relation to other leaders, can make or break your short-term and long-term success. These "others" might consist of your subordinates, colleagues, superiors, or even entire divisions or corporations.

Your leadership personal brand affects your image, your reputation, your relationships, and your performance. As a result, it will also affect your overall career and your finances. So, unless you create your desired leadership personal brand consciously, negative perceptions can undermine your best efforts.

There are many mistakes that leaders commonly make that can damage their personal brands. Let's take a look at five of the most potentially damaging:

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