Whether you’re an employee, manager or business owner, I’m sure you would have noticed those other people or businesses that shine and thrive.

It often appears as though they progress their career or grow their business as if it was as easy as walking from point A to B.

They reap in the benefits while you slog it out, only to remain sitting stationary, just around the corner from where you REALLY want to be.

They don’t work harder than you. They’re not smarter than you. So what is it that makes them sparkle like a diamond and shine more brightly than anyone else?

Your uniqueness is the most powerful tool you have in today’s crowded marketplace. If you want to move out from your corner and twinkle like a star, then you need to start thinking of yourself as a brand.

Everybody is unique 

I often hear people, particularly women, say that they don’t have exceptional skills or that they don’t do anything or have anything to offer that’s out of the ordinary. Well ‚Äì yes you do! Everyone does.

You need to get out of the sea of sameness and create a strong point of difference. If you’re going for a new job, what makes you different to the rest of the applicants? If you want to be the Number One business in the industry ‚Äì what makes your company unique?

Today’s market is tough, redundancies, lost contracts and competition mean that you have to adapt and be more aggressive in positioning yourself and your brand as the best choice in your industry. If you want growth, promotion or to reach your full potential you won’t do it if you are blending in with all the other grey suits.

Uncover your uniqueness

If you’re struggling to get where you want to go in your career or business, the first thing I suggest you do is to ask yourself some questions to uncover what makes you unique. Your UQ Power (aka Uniqueness Quotient) is the one thing that can’t be copied by your competitors. Nobody has the same upbringing as you, nobody else has experienced the same life or business lessons as you, and nobody else has you or your businesses unique personality. What makes you unique will make you money.

Think about it for a minute ‚Äì what’s yours or your company’s one thing? What is your one strength? What skill comes as naturally to you as breathing? Think about all the different situations you have used that skill in and what outcomes you have achieved.

What to do when you’ve found your UQ

Once you’ve uncovered your uniqueness you need to stop being a secret and get out there and consistently express your uniqueness to the world.

• Express what makes you unique through story-telling

Tell people about unique situations you’ve been in and how you handled it. Don’t drown in the sea of sameness by rattling off your job experience chronologically; instead highlight your achievements, how you overcame a challenge, how you handled a difficult situation or how you made an opportunity work.

• Do more of your one THING

Actions speak louder than words. If people see your consistent brilliance and passion for your one thing, it will help to position you as a leader or expert in your field.

• Leverage your unique personal traits

Why wouldn’t you play to your strengths? Get out of your head and let yourself ‚Äì be who you are. You are unique because your sense of care might go above and beyond, you are unique because of your sheer determination, you are unique because you NEVER buckle under pressure.