Reputation

Former UCLA Men’s Basketball Coach John Wooden has a Socrates-like Ted Talk where he shares an important distinction between character and reputation: Character is who you are, whereas reputation is how others perceive you. It’s something that has stuck with me, especially in hard times. So many of us are overly concerned with our reputations, which, in reality, we don’t control. A reputation can ruin a lifetime of character. Yet, how much does reputation actually matter? And what’s more, should we focus on it? Let’s dig in.

Does it matter? Sort of. If you are a leader of an organization then I would argue your reputation does matter. If your people have a negative perception of you, then it’s going to impact the entire culture. Their perception is important. Great leaders need to have a great understanding of how their reputation influences the ecosystem they serve. Further, a leader’s negative reputation can actually impact the performance of an organization.

Having said that, humans are great at sniffing out inauthentic people who are only concerned with their reputation. They are often seen as fake, non-trustworthy, and, at times, insecure. So, the question is, how much should we focus on our reputation? I think we probably spend more time than we should. Like Wooden, I think focusing on our character is more powerful, and perhaps just as important is that if we have a great reputation it’s probably because we have great character.

So, does reputation matter? Sure. Should we focus our energy on it? I think most of the time we should not. Instead, let’s get clear on what it means to live a life/career of character and let the reputation follow.