Reputation Matters – What is Trust Anyway?

by | Jan 5, 2021 | Conduct, Ethics, Governance, Leadership, Political

Trust

Reputation is arguably the most valuable asset any leader, corporation, organisation, or government can have. If reputation was an item on the balance sheet, it would go straight to the bottom line.

So how is a reputation earned, and conversely, how is a reputation destroyed?

Excellent reputations are developed over long periods based on consistency, trustworthiness, reliability, and a host of intangible factors. Reputation can be dealt a fatal blow by just one incidence of untrustworthiness.

Trust is earned,

Trust cannot be bought,

Reputation is built on trust.

People might trust you if you:

  • Fulfil your promises;
  • Do not abuse power;
  • Are open, candid, and honest;
  • Take no advantage of your position;
  • Act in the interests of your stakeholders;
  • Say what you mean, and mean what you say;
  • Speak the truth, even when it is not what you think people might like to hear;
  • Accept constructive critique and take action to address areas for improvement;
  • Step away when your work is done, and never bask in accolades or take personal kudos.

People will mistrust you if:

  • Lie or mislead;
  • Forgo your promises;
  • Act in your own interest;
  • Are selective with the truth;
  • Have one rule for yourself and another for others;
  • Hide from accountability and refuse to take responsibility.

Exercise: Try applying these tests to the situations quoted from Twitter below.

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Reputation Matters – What is Trust Anyway?

by | 5 January 2021 | Conduct, Ethics, Governance, Leadership, Political | 0 Comments

Reputation is arguably the most valuable asset any leader, corporation, organisation, or government can have. If reputation was an item on the balance sheet, it would go straight to the bottom line. So how is a reputation earned, and conversely, how is a reputation...
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by | 4 January 2021 | Book Review, Governance, Guest Author, Political | 0 Comments

Austerity’s Victims exposes the reality, describing in detail the lives of five men living in Cornwall. Their income, below the relative poverty threshold, is compared with national/county medians and the Minimum Income Standard of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Their quality of life, as support and benefits are cut away, is also examined and shown to fall a long way short of the wellbeing defined in the 2014 Care Act.

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by | 26 October 2020 | Articles, Governance, Political | 0 Comments

The Seven Principles of Public Life outline the ethical standards that working in the public sector requires. The Principles were first set out in the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s first report by Lord Nolan in 1995, and they are included in a range of Codes...
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Standards of Conduct in Public Office During COVID-19

by | 3 September 2020 | Articles, Governance, Political | 0 Comments

The Committee on Standards in Public Life is maintaining a close watch on standards issues arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chair of the Committee’s Research Advisory Board, Professor Mark Philp, discusses how the Nolan Principles can be used to help negotiate the challenges we face when making decisions during the COVID-19 crisis.

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The Leadership of Mahatma Gandhi

by | 25 June 2015 | Leadership, Political | 0 Comments

Mahatma Gandhi The leadership of Mahatma Gandhi has a foundation in self-development. To lead by example, one must first become the type of person that you would like your followers to be. This is achieved through self-sacrifice, understanding, and education. Rather...
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Mandela (Madiba, Tata) – All Things to All Men

by | 8 April 2015 | Leadership, Political | 1 Comment

Who was Nelson Mandela? The late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was a revolutionary, a freedom fighter, a politician, an adversary, an ally, a hero, and an icon; and that's just what he was to me. Satire and Cartoons South Africa's most prominent...
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The Leadership of Sir Winston Churchill

by | 15 February 2015 | Leadership, Political | 0 Comments

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill is often held up as the epitome of strong leadership, the kind that was required as countries across the globe struggled through the Second World War. His image is recognizable, even to most people who were not alive at the time. He...
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The Leadership of John Quincy Adams

by | 8 January 2015 | Leadership, Political | 0 Comments

John Quincy Adams is famously quoted as saying, “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” This could be said of his own role in leadership of the young United States of America. John Quincy Adams...
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Powerful Learning from This Scene in Invictus: What is Your Philosophy on Leadership?

by | 30 August 2014 | Articles, Leadership, Political, Sports Leadership | 0 Comments

Powerful Learning from This Scene in Invictus: What is Your Philosophy on Leadership?

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