Jeff Altheide, the vice president of a public relations agency, once told the story of being introduced to a business executive and telling the executive, “Your reputation precedes you.” The businessman, gratified and grinning broadly, inflated his chest and replied, “Thank you!” There was just one problem—the reputation that preceded him wasn't a good one.

When it comes to building a leadership reputation, there are at least two schools of thought. Some leaders see reputation as superficial, subject to distortion, and therefore unimportant. We subscribe to another view: In business, as in life, there is benefit in knowing how other people view you and how you need to improve those perceptions.

We're not suggesting you spin the truth, manipulate your image, or mask who you really are as a leader. Instead, you can make a commitment to recognize aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people but aren't.

The focus of this chapter is to help you gain a clear picture (unlike the blissfully unaware businessman) of what “reputation precedes you.” Later, in Chapter 14 (“Establishing Your Leadership Brand”), we will develop skills to close gaps between what others perceive and what you want to convey. This takes practice and the acquired ability to be comfortable with who you are. But, first, it takes awareness.

Far be it from us to argue with Plato! Your reputation is the perception that others form of you as a result of the impressions you make. The ability to have an impact in the eyes of employees, customers, and other important constituencies affects how well you do your job. That means your reputation can be an asset or a liability.

Reputation is a conduit through which people initially know you. Whether someone is getting to know you through a first meeting, over time, or even through the media, your reputation is being broadcast and formed. In the short term, reputation is important because you have only a few minutes to interact before others draw conclusions about you. In the long term, your reputation is tied to your credibility.

Reputation relates to CCL's approach to leadership as a social process that produces three outcomes (DAC):

• DIRECTION RELATES TO WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT ON THE OVERALL GOALS FOR SHARED WORK.
• ALIGNMENT COORDINATES WORK SO THAT ALL UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT, AND PERFORM THEIR ROLES.
• COMMITMENT ASSUMES MUTUAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE PART OF THOSE DOING THE WORK.

These leadership outcomes arise from interactions and relationships among people with shared work. The link to reputation is this: How you participate and relate to others defines your reputation, which in turn affects how others interact with you. The way you engage with others in the social process of leadership creates a reputation that others remember and share. So reputation doesn't just precede you. It follows you everywhere you go.

Reputation, although formed in your past, has implications for your present and your future, and at some point, it becomes legacy. If the reputation you have established is at odds with the legacy you envision, you must somehow repair your reputation.

Before we delve further into exploring reputation, consider the ten behaviors listed below that typify a reputation-savvy leader; identify the three that you feel you are currently strongest in and the corresponding three that you feel are most in need of development.

STRENGTH	NEED
	Is aware of his or her reputation.
	Understands the impact of his or her reputation on others' current perceptions.
	Understands how his or her reputation may affect current or future opportunities.
	Regularly re-evaluates his or her reputation.
	Examines past behaviors to understand how his or her reputation was formed.
	Seeks direct feedback on his or her reputation.
	Considers how others might evaluate or react to his or her reputation.
	Accepts responsibility for his or her reputation.
	Checks alignment of reputation with his or her values.
	Checks alignment of reputation with his or her desired brand.

Take a moment to reflect on how your perceived strengths and corresponding development needs in this area have played out in the past and currently. As you progress through this chapter, keep in mind how you might augment or leverage these approaches.

Some leaders believe that only what lies ahead is important and that what they did or didn't do in the past, and how others perceived it, shouldn't matter as much. But if you ignore reputation or fail to examine it accurately, you will struggle to lead others. Here are several reasons why you need to focus on understanding and addressing your reputation.

YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE

Is it the reputation you want and need to be an effective leader? By being mindful of your current reputation and taking a proactive approach, you can insure that there is no daylight between how others view you and the reputation you seek. In today's large, geographically dispersed organizations, where employees might only see senior managers in limited contexts, this is more important than ever.

PEOPLE WILL MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT YOU

In the absence of solid information and frequent communication, people's impressions can be distorted. Erroneous conclusions about who you are as a leader, what you value, and how well you do your job can be damaging to your reputation.

LONG CAREERS DEMAND INVESTMENT

You invest in your career in many ways: education and training, experience, networking, and goal setting. Don't let a negative or poor reputation sabotage your potential. Just as you develop technical expertise and interpersonal skills needed in your job, you should develop your reputation in a way that serves you as a leader.

Have you ever tried on clothes in front of a three-way mirror that shows a profile of yourself from angles you normally can't see? Surprising but eye-opening. In the same sense, a multi-perspective and clear-eyed look at the reputation you've established with others is essential to understanding how your reputation helps or hinders you. Try these approaches:

REFLECTING AND PROBING FOR INSIGHT

• What three words describe you as a leader? What words would your boss use? What words would your direct reports use? What about other constituencies?

• What feedback have you received about your reputation as a leader? What comments have you heard that may be clues to how others view you?

• What are the reputations of high-performing, well-respected leaders in your organization? How does your reputation measure up? Context matters. Something that contributes to a positive reputation in one organization may detract from it in another.

• Think of a time when your reputation worked to your advantage. How could you replicate that success more often? Think of a time when your reputation didn't serve you well. What could you do differently in the future?

• Consider recent high-profile, high-visibility scenarios you've been involved in: executive team and board sessions, prepared speeches, large groups, product launches. In what situations have you demonstrated behaviors that have either added to or detracted from your reputation?

GENERATING MORE INSIGHT

Insight is a great way to learn more about how people see you and what they take to be your reputation. Here are some suggestions for how to go about gathering insight.

SEEK FEEDBACK

Talk to people in your organization to get a better handle on your reputation. With some people, the direct approach will work; with others it is wise to look for clues and ask indirectly. Find out if your organization uses 360-degree assessments.

FIND A FOCUS

Pick one aspect of your reputation and focus on it for just one week. What do you notice about yourself? What do you do that supports the reputation you want to have? What is limiting or undermining you? Enlist a coworker to observe you for the week and to give you feedback on your progress.

SIT IN THE HOT SEAT

One component of CCL's Leadership at the Peak program simulates a media interview on a business talk show. Try this with your communications or human resources department. Have an interviewer ask about your vision for a current project, as well as problems and successes. Record yourself and critique the segment with a group of trusted colleagues or friends. How do you come across? Is this how others perceive you and thus contributes to your reputation?

The following exercise helps you evaluate whether your current reputation is aligned with your values and what you want to be known for. Start by defining your current strengths as viewed by yourself and others. Next, define your development opportunities from your own perspective and that of others. Consider the gaps between the two, and answer the following questions:

• What is your current role and how long have you been in this role?

• How strong is your knowledge and skill level in this role? What would others say?

• In your current role what are you doing very well?

• What areas do you want to improve? Is this about knowledge or skill or something else?

• How would people describe you, and why?

• How would you describe yourself, and why?

• What do others' descriptions suggest about your values? Do they match your assessment?

• Where are the gaps? Why do you think they exist?

• Are you satisfied with your ability to reach your personal and career goals?

• On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 = “not satisfied at all” and 10 = “completely satisfied”) how would you rate your reputation?