Reputation before Fame

We all want a great reputation.

We all want the honour of a good name. We all crave the accolades, the praise and the admiration that come with a good name.

Reputation has little to do with fame – the state of being known or talked about by many people for notable achievements.

Reputation is defined as "a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular set of characteristics".

It's what people believe about you. Not what they see and know about your work and career.

Simply put, reputation is led by values and emotion, fame is led by facts.

How do we know this? Because you can be famous with a good reputation. Or you can be infamous with a bad reputation.

That said, what does it take to build a good reputation?

Here are a few non-exhaustive factors:

1. Time: the amount of time it takes for your collective words AND actions form a picture in the minds of others. It’s not only what you do but also how others perceive your motives over time that often matter the most.

2. Principles: The act of standing for something, especially for what is right. A great reputation involves maintaining the strength of your ideas and principles. If you don’t know what you stand for, you’re leaving it all to chance.

3. Shokunin: a Japanese word that means, roughly, "mastery of one's profession." I deeply admire and respect the Japanese culture of taking great pride in work, where the process of performing a task often matters just as much as the outcome. Which is why Japanese brands and products have such a great reputation for excellence. You too should take pride in what you do. If you’re not proud of what you’re doing, either you’re not finished yet, or what you’re doing is not worthy of your best self.

4. Integrity: Seeking to do what’s right. When you act with integrity in everything you do, you’ll never live in fear, or be constantly on the watch for who knows your sh$t and could out you. Living paranoid is paralysing. Integrity also means acting on your conscience - that inner nudge (a gut feeling or for others a physical wince) inside you that tells you whether you’re doing the right or wrong thing. Please listen to it. It won’t lead you astray. If you doubt its meaning, sense check it with a wise friend you trust. You’ll often find your gut was right all along.

5. Humility: There’s a poignant bible verse that states that what is required of us on this planet is to “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God…” I’ve paraphrased it but therein lies wisdom – when we seek humility it’s amazing how your reputation grows without any of your own attempts to make it happen. If you don’t believe me, hunt around for all the good feel stories of humble humans who’ve become modern day heroes for their quiet, unassuming acts of goodness or charity.

6. Dependability: The art of being consistent. When you’re steady and reliable, your actions become dependable and lift your trustworthiness. This enables people to form an impression of you and anticipate your future behaviour.

7. Ownership: This simply means taking responsibility for your actions. If you can’t be proud to see your daily behaviour, words or actions in a headline, don’t say them or do them. If things go wrong despite your best intentions, don’t hide out. Face the music with an apology and a plan to do better.

8. Restraint: There is much to be said for taking a moment to deliberate and strategise before acting. Like I often tell my son, take a deep breath before speaking out in anger, sending a flaming e-mail, or making a scathing remark. Walk it out. Reset. Rethink. Or you may live to regret it.

9. Shrewdness: Navigating the pitfalls and mountains of life and being successful at sustaining a great reputation takes a certain amount of streets smarts, savviness, planning, farsightedness and perception. You need to be a clear eyed, cagey player who assesses life, opportunities, followers and decryers with grain of salt. The shrewd operator is also constantly calculating their trajectory and reputation, asking probing questions of their advisors and teams, keeping a poker face in the midst of negotiations, and being hard nosed with their businesses and contracts. All the while serving the world with a smile and a twinkle in their eye.

10. Selflessness: Being considered a true champion and trusted leader means helping others build and sustain their own reputations by acknowledging their good works. It also means modelling good behaviour yourself, and never engaging in reputation assassination, privately or publicly.

Insight Inspiration:

Your reputation could be the catalyst to great opportunities over time. It opens doors to working alongside great visionaries and brands.

It could also set you up on a platform of great influence but only if you nurture it well.

Have a think about what your reputation says about you? And what you’re doing to build it, positively or negatively.

Then amp up the positive, and lose the negative. Simples, right?