Build a reputation that keeps working after you leave the conversation.

Reputation is what people say when you are not there to influence it, which is why it compounds so quietly and matters so much. It is built by the small consistencies, the returned messages, the work delivered when nobody was checking. None of those feel important at the time, and together they become the thing that opens doors before you knock.

Think about what someone would say about working with you, in one sentence. If you do not like the sentence, pick the behavior most responsible for it and change that this month. Reputations move slowly in both directions.