One of the most common leadership mistakes I’ve observed over the years is confusing reputation repair with relationship repair.

They are not the same thing.

Reputation repair focuses on exposure — what might be said, written, or perceived. Relationship repair focuses on people — what was experienced, how it landed, and what was broken.

Leaders who rush to manage risk without repairing relationships often succeed in protecting themselves while permanently losing trust.

That tradeoff is rarely worth it.

After decades in professional services, I’ve learned that trust isn’t rebuilt by controlling the narrative. It’s rebuilt by addressing the substance.

Some leaders manage optics.
Others manage responsibility.

Only one of those restores credibility.