Reflections on Reputation

I read an obituary in the Courier Mail last week about an elderly man, Cec Anstey, an educator whose passion and commitment had touched thousands of young lives. One sentence read "Honesty, dignity, humility, reliability, diligence, integrity and patient all define Mr Anstey."

Now that is what I call an extraordinary reputation. Note though, that it is not Mr Anstey who is describing himself, rather it is a third person, an observer. You see our reputation is bestowed on us by others in response to the way they perceive us. And the more I reflect on reputation, the more I realise that what drives our personal reputation comes from within - our integrity, our ethics. If our ethics are questionable, it will in the end impact our reputation.

Take for example, former Federal Court judge, Marcus Einfeld. Not only has he destroyed his own reputation, he has brought the Federal Court into desrepute. Why? Because he has been charged with a total of 13 offences - three counts of perjury, six counts of perverting the course of justice, two of making a false instrument and a further two of using a false instrument.

This from a man from whom much has been expected! He was after all a Federal Court judge. He made rulings which affected after people's lives, and yet here he is charged with perverting the course of justice, not once, but six times!!

Reflect for a moment where his reputation is now. Reflect also on all that he is done in the past. Justice Einfeld's alleged desire to avoid traffic fines to the point of being charged with perjury and false statutory declarations, has tarnished everything he has ever done. And no matter what he might achieve in the future, his actions of the present will not redeem his reputation. History will focus on this alleged stupidity, whether found guilty or not, perception significantly impacts reputation.

Returning to my earlier proposition that the drivers of reputation relate to what is within, I would argue that Marcus Einfeld is motivated by ego, self aggrandisement and power. His fall reflects those values. Very different to the inner world of Cec Anstey, a 91 year old who died with an unblemished reputation because his inner motivations flowed out in a way that nurtured, inspired and taught others.

The final words in Mr Anstey's obituary read "His was a life whose vast riches owed little to material wealth."

Which reputation would you choose? What is your value system, your inner motivations?