A weekly thought for leaders with the courage to introspect.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ โ what is it worth?
When you hear the word reputational damage, you probably immediately think of big companies in the news. Shell, Unilever, Facebook, Volkswagen.
And yes, they have a lot to lose. But they also have the means to limit the damage. They hire experts. They launch campaigns. They invest millions in recovery.
But what if it's about you?
You are also an organization. Maybe not a multinational, but someone with a name, a career, a network. And if your reputation is damaged, it often feels even more intense.
Because you have to do it with your own resources.
What do you do when your reputation is under attack?
Do you โ as we often do in the Netherlands โ sit still and hope that it will blow over?
Bad idea.
Reputational damage hits you harder as a person than any company. Your name is your capital. And people form an image very quickly โ whether it is correct or not.
Maybe you made a mistake. Small or big.
Perhaps you have been wrongly accused.
Perhaps a misstep was magnified.
That's painful. Because once people start looking, they always find something.
Rest assured: no one is holy. Not you. Not me. Not the king.
We are human. We make mistakes.
But let this be clear: Silence is your greatest enemy.
What should you do then?
Go public with your story. Find a journalist. Ask for an interview โ and make sure you can see what will be published in advance.
Respond calmly and measuredly. Refer politely to your interview.
Get back into the swing of things as soon as possible. Business as usual. Show that you're standing your ground.
Have someone monitor the news online. Know what is being said about you.
Get back into the regular conversation. About the pool, the neighborhood, your area of expertise. Don't hide. Don't disappear.
Times have changed. Consumers, customers, colleagues โ everyone craves the same D:
Clarity.
Better an honest message than no message at all.
Better transparency than invisibility.
Reputational damage is not just something that affects large companies.
It's a people thing.
Yours. Mine.
And the only thing that works is this:
Speed. Openness. Clarity.
That takes courage.
But take no action?
That will cost you everything.
—
The space between the words is where insight arises.
Until next week when our thoughts touch again.
Hans Ruinemans, Boardroom Monk โฏ๏ธ