Character Or Reputation? Which One Should You Be More Concerned With?

Photo culled from- Aintilatina.com

Reputation is the basis of leadership, no matter the job. It is built over many years, one word at a time, one action at a time, one deed at time. In leadership, few things matter more.

Reputation is among the most treasured and powerful assets. It is what others think of us, and it’s at the foundation of how we distinguish ourselves.

Our reputation is ours, very personal but also very easy to lose.

Reputations are earned slowly and are lost quickly.

We must guard our reputation like a precious gift; we must nurture it and nourish it daily.

Character. The key goal in shaping your reputation by having your personal character stand as a driving force for everything you do and say. If you want to discover the true reputation of a person, you have only to observe what their character is all about.

Code. To make the right decisions you need the right moral compass and the right grounding to tell you what is right and what is important. At times, it may take every fiber of determination to behave in keeping with the values you hold dear, but doing so will allow your moral code to reveal itself in your actions.

Connection. Every person you encounter is looking to see if you are genuine, if you’re in sync, if you’re open to connection. Your reputation grows best among people you have seen, heard, and valued.

Communication. When you communicate, your goal should always be the alignment of perception and reality. Your reputation stems from what you say as well as what you do.

Caring. When you care you make people feel respected and valued. Caring is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It is the framework of your leadership, and it develops your thinking, being and doing.

Commitment. Reputation is created through a sense of ownership and accountability. You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do, but you can build a solid reputation on doing what you say you will do.

Credibility. There is a strong link between credibility and a great reputation. We know that the presence of trust leads to a strong reputation. You always want to be proud of what you do and make sure it reflects your values and principles. To be credible you want must be true to yourself and others at all times.

Sad but true, reputation boils down to what others think of us and how they judge us. If we get caught up with everyone, we will lose out on everything. We will miss out on what we are here to achieve, and what we want to accomplish.

It will be our character demonstrated over and over again, that will let others know who we are. And how our skills to our responsibilities and our passions for excellence leads in everything we do.

At the end of the day, we serve our reputation best by leading with our best self and letting our character speak for itself.

If we have character, our reputation will take care of itself.

Lead from Within: Reputation matters, but character will always lead the way.