Developing a successful personal brand must be build authentically. Character is the fundamental cornerstone that every personal brand must be built upon, over time it will reveal who you really are. There is a lot of talk about reputation and how important it is to build. This blog post is about the great debate of character vs. reputation.
Character vs. Reputation
Reputation is an external assessment by others, which can be accurate or inaccurate.
The problem with focusing on reputation versus character is that it is an external perception and doesn’t get to the core of your personal brand.
What is character? Character is defined as the stable and distinctive set of internal qualities or moral attributes build into an individual’s life, which will determine his/her attitudes and behaviors in life’s circumstance. Simply put it is who we really are and how we act when no one is watching. The beautiful thing about character is that it is a learned behavior that can be developed.
Your personal brand mandates that you have high moral character, live according to a defined set of values, and dedicate yourself to a meaningful purpose. By understanding and embracing these qualities, you can position your personal brand to be respected and sought after.
Reputation is a by-product of character. You can have a great reputation and poor character and over time your personal brand will deteriorate regardless of the external assessment of others. Having great character with a distorted external perception of who you are, you can still build a good reputation. Poor character tarnishes good reputation and great accomplishments. Roger Clemens one of the greatest pitchers of modern history is linked with extramarital affairs and steroids allegations which have tarnished his reputation. Almost daily we read about politicians, businessman, and athletes with undeveloped character that impacts their personal brand negatively.
In developing good character thing about four things:
1. Think before you commit.
2. Realize that everything that you do will come to light.
3. Understand that character is a learned behavior that can be developed.
4. Realize that character not reputation is the true essence of who you are.
Remember the sustainability of your personal brand long-term is directly linked to your commitment to developing good character.
This is so true Hajj! Look at Kobe Bryant…he would be so much more respected if it wasn’t for what happened 5 years ago!
AminaMay 6th, 2008 at 2:43 am
[…] Hajj Flemmings, an established Author and Personal Brand Strategist, takes a totally organic approach to Personal Branding - much like we do here at Sapien Harbor. He is authentically connected with his clients in a way that not only “brands” them but brings out their absolute best. THIS IS TO BE ADMIRED! Nw - giving Hajj kudo’s is NOT what this post is about… LOL!! It’s really about what he said to me yesterday that made me lose about 2 hours of good sleep. He said… […]
He Said He Was Going To Do It, And He Did… What Character! « microbrandologyMay 6th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Amina,
Thanks for the feedback. I agree that underdeveloped character can cost you financial, business opportunities, and trust to name a few.
Hajj FlemingsMay 6th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Vince (Microbrandologist),
Thanks. I am an engineer by trade so I think systematically, 5 Why, Fish Bone Diagrams, 8D in terms of solving problems. In each of these processes the goal is getting to the root cause. Character is the root cause. Keep making a difference.
Hajj
Hajj FlemingsMay 6th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Hey Hajj…great post with substance. There is a lot of press around regarding ‘reputation’ and the marketing, but character takes this a step ‘deeper’ I like to think that your personal brand is what others say about you, not what you say about yourself, and those with strong ‘characters’ have plenty of people talking about them!
Luke Harvey-PalmerMay 6th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Luke,
Great reply. Not only do they have a lot of people talking about them, but they will have things to say that align with their values and who they are authentically.
Hajj FlemingsMay 7th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I think charachter is important because when you have strong charachter and values it will radiate through your personality, aura, work and interaction with others. To have strong charachter is to have self respect and when you have self respect you will have respect for others. We all know in all situations that actions speak louder than words.
CCMay 21st, 2008 at 6:19 am
Not only do you have to have self-respect, but you have to be self-discipline and have self-control to operate with strong character. Good feedback.
Hajj FlemingsMay 21st, 2008 at 9:51 pm