The Credible Leader

Building Credibility as a Leader

Graphics courtesy of ForbesOpens in new window The leader’s role at any level is challenging and all leaders must build and sustain their credibility to be successful. Although there is not “secret sauce” that will ensure a leader successfully builds credibility, there are some characteristics that appear to influence how leaders are perceived. Leaders are perceived as more credible when they:

1.    Are demanding but not unreasonable.

Leaders must establish their authority early on and set challenging, but achievable, goals.

Leaders who are demanding and hold their direct reports accountable for high levels of performance earn the respect of their direct reports, peers, and other leaders.

2.    They communicate an inspiring vision to their direct reports.

As a leader it is not enough to simply be demanding. Leaders must inspire their direct reports to work hard to achieve demanding goals.

The best leaders are capable of creating and communicating a vision that provides the inspiration to achieve results beyond the ordinary. This visionOpens in new window becomes the “why” that employees focus on when things get tough, long hours are needed, and sacrifices are required to achieve the goals.

3.    Are seen as willing to take rational risks, but are not reckless.

Every leader opportunity and decision involves taking risks. Leaders who are overly risk averse may be seen as lacking courage to do what is necessary to succeed, while leaders who take irrational risks are likely to gain the reputation as being reckless, or poor decision makers.

Good leaders assess risks and weigh potential rewards against potential consequences, and take rational risks.

4.    Are focused on achievable goals, but flexible in how they are achieved.

Good leaders are masters at managing chaos. Leadership most often requires leaders dealing with chaos because of never ending change for the organization. Thus it is important that leaders must identify key issues and provide focus on their resolution.

It is equally important that leaders align values to focus their direct report’s behaviors. Chaos in today’s organizational leadership arena is unlikely to ever disappear, but good leaders do not let chaos, for example, rule over their team’s or group’s actions.

5.    Are approachable but not too familiar.

Leaders must be approachable so that your direct reports may get to know them, their values, their vision, their leadership style, and what they want or expect from their direct reports. The direct reports must be able to communicate their concerns and ideas, and be comfortable in approaching their leaders. However, leaders must also avoid becoming too familiar with direct reports so as not to compromise their authority.

6.    Are willing to make tough calls, but keep the unit’s (and individual direct report’s) well-being in mind.

Being a leader by definition means having to make tough decisions. Accountability for a leader’s group or team’s performance rests with the leader. As such leaders must hold their direct reports accountable for their performance.

This means enforcing behavioral and performance standards, making tough operational decisions, and taking rational risks. In doing so, good leaders also retain their humanity and take into consideration the impact their decisions have on the unit and individual direct reports.

In order to gain and retain their direct report’s respect and loyalty, leaders must also show their direct reports that they respect and are loyal to them, even when making those tough decisions.

7.    Are able to secure early wins that make an immediate impact on the group or team’s performance.

Leaders must demonstrate their competence and worthiness. While it is unlikely that the leader’s actions will make a significant impact on their direct report’s measurable performance in a short period of time, they should always seek to identify early wins that will bolster their credibility in the short term.

Gaining personal credibility as a leader is a challenge that typically takes time. However, by demonstrating competence and traits that direct reports will want to emulate, leaders should be able to gain the credibility that sets them and their followers or direct reports up for success.

Recap

Although managementOpens in new window and leadership share some similarities, the two activities are not synonymous. Leaders work with people, set goals, and influence others in order to achieve those goals, but there are several distinctions that separate the two functions.

Early theories of leadership included: great man theoryOpens in new window, trait theoriesOpens in new window, behavioral theoriesOpens in new window, contingency theoriesOpens in new window, and situational theoriesOpens in new window. Several contemporary perspectives on leadership include transformational leadership, charismatic leadership, servant leadership, and authentic leadership.

Contrary to stereotypes suggesting that women are more relationship-oriented and men more task-oriented, female and male leaders do not differ in the leadership behaviors they perform. Sometimes female leaders are more participative than male leaders. Women and men are equally effective as leaders.

The moods and emotions leaders experience on the job and their ability to effectively lead these feelings, can influence their effectiveness as leaders. Moreover, EIOpens in new window can contribute to leadership effectiveness in multiple ways.

To be effective leaders must develop a variety of skills to successfully lead. And they need to constantly do this while leading direct reports who all have different personalities, skill sets, and who may or may not interact well with each other.

Leaders must understand the importance of being a follower and building credibility with their direct reports, peers, and senior leaders. While challenging there are a number of things leaders can do to move in the right direction.