Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

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.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
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
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×