Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

9 habits that can instantly destroy your reputation, according to these self-made millionaires

As billionaire Warren Buffett once said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it."

Many of world’s most successful people have one thing in common: an impeccable reputation - which, when you really think about it, isn’t easy to develop and maintain.

As billionaire and legendary investor Warren Buffett once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it.”

If you don’t have a strong and well-respected image, it isn’t too late to fix it. Here are the bad habits that can quickly put a dent in your reputation, according to these nine self-made millionaires and Advisors in The Oracles:


1. Not trusting your gut instinct.

“If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. I used to find myself at parties where there was cocaine on the table. And I knew that if I stayed, no one would believe that I wasn’t doing it. So I always left.

Don’t ignore your instinct, because it’s right 99% of the time. Don’t make excuses or question it. Just it and move on.”


2. Ignoring your online reputation.

“It’s inevitable: When you become successful, people will post negative things about you online. Never take those complaints or comments lightly. Protect your brand and respond immediately by phone or a direct message. If possible, do it in person.

Typically, when you express to someone that you actually care and want to address the issue in a peaceful manner, they’ll retract the post or even share how great you are. Treat these situations as opportunities, not problems.

But you have to know which battles to fight and which to walk away from. Some people just want to make noise and spread negativity -and those are the ones to avoid.”


3. Only meeting expectations, instead of exceeding them.

“Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, simply meeting expectations isn’t enough. So always make it a point to under-promise and overdeliver.

When you get an email or text, for example, don’t be like everyone else and respond the next day. Instead, surprise that person by getting back to them immediately. People notice these things -and when you exceed their expectations, they’ll like and respect you even more.”


4. Taking shortcuts.

“Today, anyone with a smartphone can become a video editor, photographer, or author. And because they can do it so quickly, it’s easier than ever to do a lousy job and slap something together in one afternoon.

But in order to build a great reputation, you need to showcase quality, thoughtful and valuable work. This may take years of study, practice and hard work, which is why so few people do it.

Not taking shortcuts is essential to building a reputation that precedes you -one that makes people want to work with and be around you.”


5. Being ashamed of your failures.

“It’s easy to get discouraged after a big failure. But feeling bad and ashamed about it can make you lose sight of the all the other great work you’re doing and the difference you’re making in people’s lives.

Early in my career, I struggled in dealing with my failures, especially when they were followed by criticism. But I learned that you can do everything right, and there will still always be people trying to tear you down. That’s just the nature of the game.

It also helps to be open about your failures. If you’re going to share your story and success to the world, always be 100% transparent. When you share the good and the bad, critics will eventually come around to your side.”


6. Being fake.

“Your reputation doesn’t just hinge on your work or credentials. Instead, it’s a product of the energy you give off.

You can show yourself as an impressive person who has achieved incredible things, but that won’t override the certainty of what others intuitively feel about you. Often, people can tell if you’re being inauthentic.

At the end of the day, all the elements of success depend on you being true to yourself. When you live unapologetically in line with your values, your light will shine in a way that is impossible to ignore.”


7. Prioritizing the wrong things.

“Some people have shady practices just to earn a few bucks here and there -but it’s not worth it. Your reputation is so much more important than money. It’s a lot like parenting: I want my kids to view me as a role model.

When it comes to my company, for example, I always ask myself: Are we building the type of business that our clients would want to model? Are we taking care of them and doing things efficiently? Are we proud of what we’re doing?”


8. Blaming.

“Several years ago, I lost everything in a Ponzi-like scheme. Even worse, my friends and family were also deceived into losing millions of dollars.

I carried tremendous guilt and felt angry and ashamed. How could I have been lied to like that? How will I ever rebuild my reputation and regain others’ trust again?

But then I turned to the words of my heroes, which gave me strength in my despair. Zig Ziglar said, ‘If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.’ And Winston Churchill reminded me that ‘success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.’

Slowly, I faced the situation head-on. I apologized, took responsibility where I could, and spent time with those who were hurting. Maintaining an excellent reputation doesn’t mean you’ll never make mistakes; it’s how you respond to them that demonstrates the depth and strength of your character.”


9. Being inconsistent.

“As a leader, you should always ask yourself: Did I do what I said I would, and do it consistently?

Reputation is interconnected to your relationship to truth. The underbelly of a poor reputation is that you became a co-conspirator in human failure because people who relied on you were damaged by your ethical breaches.

If you want to improve your reputation and change the caliber of your relationships with others, you must speak your truth, live your truth and leave a legacy of your truth by teaching others. Most importantly, you must do it with consistency.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×