Credibility - Building It Over Time

Careful now!

You made a commitment, didn't follow through and nothing happened. Whew - how lucky that no one noticed.

Wrong! It is noticed and tracked. Because it is about credibility. A big word with profound implications. The less you deliver on your commitments – the less credible you become. And for a leader – credibility is what defines you. Credibility means trust, courage and smarts.

If you don’t understand your environment, underestimate your competition, commit what you cannot deliver – it all adds up to an ineffective leader. It is cumulative and adds up. People notice and they may ignore some hiccups but not for long. A history of misses leads to a lack of trust and questioning of motives.

As one of my managers always stressed “Do what you say and say what you do”. I takes time to build credibility and not a whole lot to lose it.


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