In the early 90’s I had the great privilege to share the stage with General Colin Powell at a Georgetown University commencement; and as he was leaving, he put his arm on my shoulder and gave me the best piece of advice that I had ever received. He said “In life, all you have is your family and your reputation, and nothing else.” I was in my 20’s then, and those words have echoed and guided my life each day since.
Today, I pass General Powell’s message to anyone who’s interested; most particularly, my children; Jenna and Adam. Ironically, I find the one thing that my role models all share, is an impeccable reputation that they guard with extreme care. On top of my list is the great Warren Buffet who once said, “If you lose dollars for the firm by bad decisions, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless.”
Chief Reputation Strategist, Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross is one of the most important and respected voices on the topic of reputation management; listen to her advice.