What gives leaders credibility? Make it personal—what do you believe gives you credibility with your team? How do you know when you have it? Why is it so vitally important?
James Kouzes and Barry Posner did a study about ten years ago in which they asked business leaders what their most admired leaders did to gain respect, trust, and a willingness to be influenced. Take a look at the top answers below (published in their book Credibility:
- Supported me
- Had the courage to do the right thing
- Challenged me
- Developed and acted as a mentor to others
- Listened
- Celebrated good work
- Followed through on commitments
- Trusted me
- Empowered others
- Made time for people
- Shared the vision
- Opened doors
- Overcame personal hardships
- Admitted mistakes
- Solved problems creatively
- Taught well
Take a look at that list again. I believe you will find a high degree of alignment between this list and the topics of LEAD 365. When I think of the things that make a leader worth following, this is a really good list.
These two authors have a funny seven-letter acronym that they use: DWYSYWD. Your credibility with your team is based in large part on whether you Do What You Say You Will Do. Alignment between words and action—it’s a really big deal.
Don’t forget the connection between this kind of credibility and building great teams. You may be in a position where others report to you, and you may be in a position of authority over others, but let’s not kid ourselves: the people we lead have a lot of power. And they can use that power to vote with their energy, their dedication, their loyalty, their talent, and their actions. Your credibility often makes the difference between minimum effort and tapping into people’s discretionary effort.
Be that person worth following. Be that leader of credibility. Be the kind of person that your team members would describe using the bullet points above.
Leading with you with credibility,
Jeff
Image by armadano. Used under CC By 2.0 license.
Recent Comments