Reputation and Public Image: The Legacy You Create Daily

Before people get to know you, there is a possibility that they have heard one or two things about you and must have built up a perception of the kind of person you are. They are not initially given the opportunity to converse with you, to interact, and to get first-hand experience of who you really are. having a thought of what you are like. The way people perceive you is shaped by the reputation you have established over time.

There is no lie when this is said, either you are actively building a reputation or you are not, everyone has a reputation. You do not have to be doing something in particular or not doing anything in particular to have a reputation. So far, you are alive, and the fact that you interact with others or simply by existing earns you a reputation. This is why it is important to keep your reputation in mind, as it can determine where you will find yourself or the next opportunity that will land on your doorstep.

At the early days of my youth, I had not placed the thought of reputation as important as my public image. I had been very ignorant of my looks and how I appear, having the thought that it is not anybody's business if I dress sharp or shabbily. You can say I was a kid and I knew nothing, but as I began to grow and started reading books and listening to stoic materials, I figured that even something as little as dressing can build a public image of me, a reputation that people will know me for and the respect that would be accorded to me.

That was when I found the reason to change—the reason to grow and become conscious of the reputation I lay forth. Your reputation and public image go beyond dressing alone. In fact, it can make you or ruin you. The choice is in your hands. You only have to examine the experience you give off to people and know what reputation and public image people have about you.

If someone wants to get to know who you are, they may not have the opportunity to ask you directly; it could be from a colleague or from even someone who knows you from afar, and mostly they will describe you from the experience you leave off with them. It is not even limited to you as an individual but also to businesses and organisations as well. Their reputation is built on the experiences their customers get from them. If the experiences are good, they have a good reputation, which gives them a good public image; if the experiences are bad, then the case will result in both a bad reputation and a bad public image.

Let's take a few examples of things that could contribute to reputation—both good and bad. A bad example could be getting late to meetings with colleagues or friends, which shows that you do not respect or value their time or the reason for the meeting. The sad truth is that it does not need to be something you do regularly before it forms a bad reputation for you. It only needs to happen once, especially when with someone you are meeting for the first time, as this will create a perception of who you are to the person. As they say, a first impression lasts forever.

A good example can be a person who makes sure to contribute to his community in any way he sees fit. This person will have a reputation in the community as a value contributor and will be known by people in the community for what he does, as opposed to people who are only part of the community for the benefit the community provides. This example of a person would have a reputation that speaks ahead of him that can lead to bringing opportunities to his table.

Hence the importance of reputation and public image. It is important to make sure people have a good experience with you. Though you cannot satisfy everybody, it is important to have a set of values you follow that define who you are and how you relate to people. This is what I call foundational principles to living or Your Moral Code.

As well as having a moral code, physical appearance plays a major role in your public image, as you are addressed based on how you are dressed. Always appear appealing and with a smile; someone with a smile is far more approachable than someone with a frowning face. Always keep these in mind.