ABSTRACT
For many years CEOs and other leaders have echoed a similar mantra: “Reputation is our most important asset.” So why is it that so many have let the asset be “trashed”? It will surely take years of cascading scandal and investigation to determine which and how many General Motors (GM) employees reacted negligently or worse to the ignition switch defect. While that is a stark illustration, others occur with shocking frequency and in the extreme-almost as if negligent management of the reputation asset does not really matter to those in charge. That is about to change.
