Reputation is Leverage. I Help Leaders Put It to Work.

 When senior leaders talk to me about reputation, their questions are usually concrete.

How will this be understood? 

This isn't about the words, it's about seeing the contextual landmines

Who do we need to bring with us? 

This is about sequencing and coalition-building, less broadcasting more buy-in

What are we missing? 

This is the blind-spot check

My point of view comes from years of working inside complex organizations where decisions are made quickly, visibility is high, and alignment really matters.

A few things consistently prove true.

▶ Reputation is cumulative

It’s shaped by what leaders do repeatedly, not what they say once. Communication works when it reinforces those patterns, not when it tries to correct for them.

▶ Clarity beats completeness

Leaders don’t need to explain everything. They need to be clear about what matters, what doesn’t, and what comes next. Over-communication often creates more uncertainty, not less.

▶ Alignment shows up in tone before it shows up in headlines

When leadership teams are aligned, communication feels steady and intentional. When they’re not, people sense it immediately, even if nothing is “wrong” yet.

This is how I think about reputation and influence in practice. Helping leaders sharpen their thinking, align their teams, and communicate in ways that support how they want to lead.