London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×