Credibility is the foundation on which leadership is built Credibility Leadership

4 Most Commonly Cited Elements of Leader Credibility [1] Honesty [2] Forward-looking [3] Competent [4] Inspiring

DWYSYWD Do what you say you will do…

“Choose accountability over popularity” The Five Temptations of the CEO

The nature of your values How well you know your own values The extent to which others understand your values The degree to which your actions align with your values Values are critical in developing credibility

Leadership is a process of discovery… ~ one of the first steps in becoming a credible leader is discovering what your core values are

A strong sense of your core values helps you to be ‘inspiring’ …that which compels you, makes you compelling What compels you?

The paradox and challenge of credibility Credibility can be hard to earn, but easy to lose You can work for years to establish credibility, and lose it in an instant

Gaining credibility: What should be the first step?

[1] demonstrate a willingness early on to connect with your employees shows that you have an interest in them as individuals provides them the opportunity to assess your character and your trustworthiness gives you the opportunity to informally share some information about yourself

Gaining credibility: What should be the second step?

[2] establish competence in some realm If you do not yet have ‘technical’ competence, focus on competencies in other realms that you do have now Find ways to convey competence without being arrogant but do not downplay your accomplishments

Steps for regaining credibility 1.Acknowledge mistake immediately 2.Be accountable; don’t blame others 3.Be forthcoming with why you made the decision you did, or acted the way you did 4.Invite employees to share how they feel about what happened; effect it had on them 5.State what you learned from the situation 6.State clearly what you will do different in the future

Say you are ‘sorry’ and mean it