Having a good reputation is valuable to getting ahead in the world. If people think that you’re an honest person, a likable person, a hard worker, someone who does good things for good reasons, then you’ve got a certain type of charisma that can help make you attractive. This can aid you if you’re looking for employment or working to succeed as a business leader; it can benefit you as you find friends, dates, and a spouse; it can be extremely important when finding a career path after playing professional sports.
Building a Positive Reputation
How can you develop a good reputation? Is the secret as simple as being a person who deserves a good reputation?
Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that a reputation is something you build over time, through actions and words. A person who is consistently generous, friendly, and cheerful may achieve a reputation as a nice, pleasant person. Similarly, if you welcome interviews, give your time to charities, and are always uplifting to your teammates, you will be known as a compassionate team player.
There are numerous positive attributes to which you can strive for in your reputation. You might wish to be thought of as enthusiastic, compassionate, hard-working, perceptive, and kind. And you might attain any of these through consistent actions in your relationships with others in work or personal situations.
But it may not be that easy.
You Control Your Character. Others Determine Your Reputation
Developing a positive reputation is not as simple as exhibiting the characteristics that seem fundamental to whichever reputation you would like to have. The reason is that a reputation is not something that you own and control; instead, your reputation encompasses the ways you are perceived by others. Thus, while you can influence how others think about you by what you say and do, you cannot completely control how others think about you.
This, however, is certain: Developing a good reputation takes time, consistency, and patience. Hurting or destroying a reputation is easier and can occur much quicker. If you want a certain kind of reputation, be careful not to do anything to counter that reputation.
If you’d like to learn about developing and maintaining a strong, positive reputation, few are better able to help than Brian Mitchell. This former Redskins football star now works in television and radio and he shares his secrets to success with current and former professional athletes, business professionals, and high school and college athletes. If you’d like motivational speaker Brian Mitchell to inspire your group, contact him at 703.434.0734.