Your reputation is built in private. In the decisions no one sees. In the work you do when no one's watching. In the way you treat people when there's nothing to gain. That's where character lives. And character is what people remember long after the results fade. You can manipulate perception for a while. You can craft an image. You can say the right things in public. But eventually, the truth comes out. People see who you really are. And if there's a gap between the image and the reality, you lose everything. Trust. Respect. Credibility. All of it. Build in private. Let the results speak in public. Don't worry about managing perception. Just be the person in private that you claim to be in public. That's integrity. And it's the only thing that lasts.