Episode 16 - Your Reputation Might be Pointing you Backwards
Sometimes the reputation that made you successful is the very thing keeping other people from seeing what you’re capable of next.
That can happen when you’ve spent years becoming known for one thing - execution, operations, a particular function, a specific market - and then your work starts to change.
You may already be operating more strategically, moving towards board work, advisory work or a different stage of your career, while the reputation around you is still describing the version of you people already know.
I know this one personally.
For years, I was known as a media and advertising expert. That reputation travelled with me across countries, agencies and major brands. But when I changed direction, I had to work out what all of that experience meant in a different context.
I now see the same issue with senior leaders and businesses.
The problem usually isn’t a lack of experience. It’s that the experience hasn’t yet been interpreted for what comes next.
In this episode, I talk about:
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Why a strong reputation can become limiting when your role changes
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What happens when you’re still known for execution but your value has moved into judgement, influence or strategy
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Why senior executives moving into NED work often have to talk about their experience differently
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How the same issue shows up in consultancies that have grown through word of mouth
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Why your previous experience is still the raw material - but you need to decide what it means now
A useful question to ask yourself is:
Does the reputation that currently surrounds me still describe the work I want to engage with next?
If not, look for the thread across your experience.
What do you want to do in this next stage, and which common themes in your career support that direction?
If this is something you’re working through in your own leadership profile, you can find out more about my advisory work here:
And if you want to stay connected, you’ll find me on LinkedIn here:
