Welcome to Intentional Conversations — the podcast where thoughtful leadership meets meaningful impact.

In this episode, we sit down with Charlotte Otter, author and reputation management expert, to explore what reputation truly means, why the world is calling for new leaders, and the essential qualities those leaders need today.

🎧 Tune in for a conversation that blends insight, challenge, and inspiration.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM CHARLOTTE:

• Storytelling reminds us how human we are.
• It is so important in this AI age to privilege this human connection and emotion.
• Vulnerability - stories show our human side and how vulnerable we are.
• Leaders think they need to be seen as the most powerful person in the room, but it’s when they crack and show a little bit of vulnerability, they are so much more likely to create the fans they need to change their ogranizations.
• If your words and your actions don’t match, that is a credibility gap.
• No leader ever gets up and says everything is gonna stay the same, all communication is about change.
• Leaders have gone through obstacles, obstacles teach empathy and that makes them amazing leaders.
• Trust is reputation’s closet sibling - so it’s very important!
• Important for people to say their values out loud, tell the stories that match their values
• The best way to counteract bias is a stellar record of success.
• By living your reputation out loud as a leader, your creating a bridge for the next generation to cross.
• Leaders who are single loop learners, leaders who are double loop learners, fix the problem, but they ask what was it in my behavior that caused this problem and what can I do in my future to not do it again! The single loop leader never wants the feedback. But the double loop leader wants to know more.
• If you’re leading change, spend a LOT less tie talking and a lot more time listening.
• The hierarchy breaks when you have that expoenentional amount of pressure… to future proof themselves in a culture of high autonomy and high freedom. Single loop learning leaders don’t like this, but it is the only way that managers will be able to cope with the pressures on them.
• AI is super useful for 1st drafts, don’t rely on it for the final copy.
• It will always be incumbent on humans to tell human stories. Leaders who understand this and know their stories, these are the leaders and brands that survive.
• To be a good communicator, you have to understand what you’re communicating.
• We privilege confidence over competence.
• The key to breaking the LOUDNESS is authenticity! Being prepared to be vulnerable, being prepared to show everything isn’t perfect, being prepared for feedback. Knowing who you are as a leader is the prototype to breaking the archetype of a noisy, loud leader.
• A new leader is someone who knows their values, tells stories, who’s behavior matches their stories and values, and has strong communities. It is not enough to talk about yourself, you need others to confirm your reputation.
• Writing is a way to figure out what she thinks. But it takes the writing down of ideas to work out what they think. And it’s a place of flow and joy.
• Think about your reputation as vitamins, not aspirin. Your reputation protects your immune system and it’s a way to help you succeed.

🟣 CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/charlotteeliseotter

Website: www.charlotteotter.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/charlotter1968

Newsletter: https://otterc.substack.com/

🟣 CONNECT WITH NWC:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikawhite/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikacwhite?fref=ts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikacwhite/

NWC Website: https://nikawhite.com

Looking for a speaker for your next keynote, workshop, continuing education or panel, Dr. Nika White is actively booking for Q4 and Q1 2026 events now!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED: https://www.nikawhitespeaks.com/