Are You Communicating Credibility To Your Team?
By Leanne Crain
Do you hold credibility as a leader? Sure, your team might ask how high when you tell them to jump, but are they following you because they have to, or because they of the credibility you have gained with them?
Does it matter, as long as they follow?
Actually, yes. If your team doesn't believe in you, and your message, they are probably just going through the motions, and possibly not giving you the best that they could.
When you express a message to your team, you want them to believe you, trust you, and have confidence in what you say, not just follow you blindly. True success in your organization will always boil down to relationships, and relationships are built on credibility. However, we often fall into the trap of portraying a false version of ourselves to others because we are afraid of being who we really are. We feel that if we are "too nice", we will be taken advantage of too easily. Or that acting like we think we should act, rather than who we are, will somehow make us seem more important.
Every moment that you interact with your team, is a moment your credibility is being judged. This is why it is so important to always ensure you are communicating authentically, and with integrity. Be yourself. Rather than running people down when you hit challenges, spend time every week building people up. Constantly do credibility checks with yourself to make sure you are communicating to your team in the best way you can. Here are some quick ideas for you to evaluate yourself on:
1. Are you being yourself? Is who you are around others the person you truly are, or is it who you think you need to be to gain respect? Remember, it is always more powerful to be authentic.
2. Do you keep your word? If you tell your team you are going to do something, make sure you do it. It seems like a simple enough tip, yet so often it is overlooked.
3. Do you under promise and over deliver? This is not just something you can use with clients; you can use this lesson with your team as well. Never commit to more than you can do, and always try to do one step better than you committed to doing.
4. How much time do you spend listening? Spend time listening to your team. Take time to walk around and talk to them, not just send them an email. Practice good listening skills, and show them that you are truly interested in who they are, where they are going, and where they see themselves in the organization.
5. Are you honest with your team? Credibility depends a lot on how honest people believe you are. If you make a mistake, admit it. Don't forget that everyone makes mistakes. Take responsibility for yourself, and don't try to hide things.
6. Do you constantly increase your knowledge? When you first got into the position you are in, you probably did it because you were one of the best, or because you had the capacity to be one of the best. Sometimes though, we get so busy, we forget we must remain one of the best. Remember to take time to improve your skills, and yourself, so that you keep up to date.
7. Do you walk the walk? Sure, you can probably talk the talk, but don't forget that second step. We must make sure what we say and what we do are always in alignment. If you constantly say one thing and do another, you will lose credibility very quickly.
Take time every once in a while to ask yourself these questions and re-direct if you need to. Before you speak to your team, or send that email, take a moment and think about how it reflects on your credibility as a leader. It can take years to build up credibility, but only seconds to lose it, so make sure each communication you create - written, verbal or non-verbal - is a reflection of who you really are as a person.
For more ideas on leadership, please contact Gary Gzik at ggzik@bizxcel.com
Leanne Crain is a Marketing Assistant for BizXcel. Her background is marketing and tourism, and she has over 12 years experience in the sales and marketing field.
