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.
“THE WAY TO GAIN GOOD REPUTATION IS TO ENDEAVOR TO BE WHAT YOU DESIRE TO APPEAR.”
— PLATO
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):
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.
THE LONG SECOND ACT OF SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY
He was the youngest child of an ambassador to the Court of St. James and grew up in the shadow of three brothers who died young: a pilot and war hero lost on a special mission, an assassinated U.S. president, and a popular presidential candidate likewise assassinated.
Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy appeared to be the heir to an American dynasty until his reputation was shattered. In 1969 he crashed his car off a bridge in an incident that killed a young female staffer. Kennedy failed to report the accident to police for 12 hours, leaving him under a lingering cloud of suspicion and scandal that permanently dashed his presidential hopes.
How was it, then, that when he died in 2009 of a brain tumor, he was eulogized as the “Lion of the Senate” whose legislative accomplishments in a 47-year career in that body surpassed those of many legendary figures? Though impossibly compromised and continuing to live a public life dogged by tabloid controversy about his private life, Kennedy rebuilt his political reputation by remaining loyal to his constituents, partnering with traditional adversaries, and successfully legislating a social agenda of weight, breadth, and longevity.
Kennedy's biography validates several important concepts about reputation:
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.
“YOU CAN'T BUILD A REPUTATION ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.”
— HENRY FORD
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:
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?
“IT TAKES 20 YEARS TO BUILD A REPUTATION AND FIVE MINUTES TO RUIN IT. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU'LL DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.”
— WARREN BUFFET
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:
KEY TAKEAWAYS in ASSESSING YOUR LEADERSHIP REPUTATION
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