Your reputation precedes you. Do you know what yours says about you?

We all have that friend who is chronically late. They know dinner starts at 6, but they show up at 6:30. No matter how much you try, it's hard to trust they'll arrive on time.

The same goes for the co-worker who is always disheveled and disorganized. No matter how much you enjoy working with them, you worry they will look unprofessional in your high-stakes client meeting.

If you struggle to trust someone in one area of their life, it's hard to trust them in others. How you experience someone when it doesn't matter shapes your level of trust when it does. That experience forms a reputation for who they are perceived to be. 

Influence isn't something to turn on or off. It requires earning trust and building a credible reputation with consistent action and follow-through. How do others experience you?

I challenge you to find out. Find someone you trust to share honest feedback about how others perceive you. Discover what your reputation says about you. Create a plan to change the bad habits that threaten your influence and start earning trust now. Today.