CREDIBLE COMMUNICATION
by John C. Maxwell
Before jumping into this edition’s lesson on credibility, I’d
like to thank John Baldoni for the wonderful thoughts he
provided in “Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders”. His
ideas helped to shape this lesson, and I would recommend his
book to LW subscribers studying communication.
Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it he or she is solvent;
without it he or she is bankrupt.
Consider this metaphor: A leader with credibility has a
pocketful of coins. As long as the pocket is full, the leader is
believable, worthy of respect, and able to be trusted. Each time
the leader breaks a promise or acts inconsistently with
professed values, he or she must pay out some of the coins in
their pocket. When the coins are gone, so is the leader’s
credibility. No amount of persuasion or personal appeal will be
able to buy it back. Once lost, respect and trust take years to
regain.
Here are the four keys to establishing credibility in your
leadership:
1) Speak the truth.
Be honest and upfront. Transparency breeds legitimacy—make it a
priority to be open with financial statements, policies, and
decision-making rationale.
When I began my pastorate in San Diego, I followed the founding
pastor who was retiring after having led the congregation for 27
years. He had a tremendous amount of trust in his bank account
with the people, and he deserved it because he was a phenomenal
leader.
As a young man, coming in after the departure of such a well-
respected and admired veteran, I knew my success hinged upon my
ability to earn the trust of the church. So, one Sunday night a
month, for several months, I would invite congregants to the
church and spend a full hour answering any questions they had
for me. At the first Q&A session, 600 people came. My sincerity
and openness in fielding questions disarmed them, and it laid a
solid foundation of credibility from which I could operate.
2) Don’t hide bad news.
With corporate scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Andersen
seared in our collective memories, we have entered an era in
which transparency is demanded like never before. With multiple
information channels available, bad news always becomes known,
so it behooves management to be candid right from the start.
Winston Churchill is a classic example of a leader who
communicated bad news frankly and honestly. In the midst of
World War II, he let the British know they were in their darkest
hour, their backs were up against the wall, and that democratic
civilization rested upon their ability to win the war against
Hitler. He never sugarcoated anything, and his sincerity
instilled a grim determination in his people to sacrifice and
persevere.
3) Never over-promise.
Do not make promises you cannot keep. Why do you think
politicians have such a poor reputation? It’s very simple. They
promise the world and seldom deliver.
I am naturally optimistic, and as my children were growing up, I
found over-promising to be a weakness of mine. I would talk with
my kids about going to exciting places and doing fun activities,
but then my schedule wouldn’t allow me to follow through with my
intentions. I had to be very careful about what I said so that
my children would be able to trust my words. Remember: A highly
credible leader under-promises and over-delivers.
4) Do what you say you will do.
Follow up and follow through. Unfortunately, many in the
corporate world politely make offers with no intent of carrying
them out. After meetings and phone calls, follow up with a
reminder email outlining the action items discussed and
agreements made.
How many times have you been in a business meeting that ended
with warm handshakes but empty commitments? When you say you’ll
pass along a friend’s contact information to a business
associate, do it. When you agree to meet with a potential
partner, make it a point to schedule the meeting onto your
calendar. Diligent follow through will set you apart from the
crowd and communicate excellence to those you meet.
Credibility is the bond between the leader and the follower, and
it forms the bedrock of why people will do what the leader asks
of them. Even the best leaders may suffer a blow to their
credibility. This may be the result of a mistake or error in
judgment. Or, circumstances may conspire against the leader,
such as adverse market conditions or the failure of a supplier
or partner.
As a leader, how can you restore damaged credibility? Let me
give you three steps.
1) Acknowledge the mistake
When decisions turn out unexpectedly, the leader owes his or her
followers an explanation. The egos of leaders can make them
quick to assign blame or make excuses, but the problem compounds
when a leader does not acknowledge mistakes. The acknowledgement
should be on the front end, and should be voluntary. A forced
acknowledgement (“Because I got caught, I’d like to acknowledge
this”) does nothing to reestablish trust.
2) Apologize
Admit what you did was wrong, accept responsibility, and say you
are sorry. To do it may be painful for the moment, but it will
shorten the agony and enable the leader to put the incident
behind him or her.
3) Make Amends
Find a way to make amends to the people you’ve wronged. Make
restitution to those you’ve harmed. You may not be required to
do so, but a trustworthy leader goes the extra mile to remedy
strained relationships.
“This article is used by
permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free monthly e-newsletter
‘Leadership Wired’ available at www.INJOY.com.”
