Leadership and Credibility

To learn some fundamental truths about leadership communications, we need to go all the way back to about 350BCE and sit in on a lecture by a Greek philosopher named Aristotle.

According to Aristotle, you can present a persuasive appeal to an audience three different ways – through logic, through emotion and through credibility.  Credibility is based on your knowledge, confidence, integrity and believability.  Without this, logic or emotion alone have little persuasive force.

Credibility in your leadership communications is more than just ‘image’.  When we hear the word ‘image’, we often associate it with illusion.  ‘Image’, may be what we see projected, but reality may be something else entirely.  Credibility, on the other hand, ties more directly to your character.

‘Charisma’ is another term we often hear when describing influential leaders.  However, when we think of the most charismatic leaders, we can see how their appeal is more in emotion than in reason.  Credibility, on the other hand, is grounded in fact and objectivity.

‘Image’ and ‘charisma’ are good to hear when people describe your leadership style, but credibility ties more into the positive qualities that you as a leader must possess.  Projecting credibility defines the goal in mastering your leadership communications.

For your followers to see you as credible, they must see you as being knowledgeable, authoritative, confident, honest and trustworthy.  Some of this comes through hard work and position.  If, for example, you are asked to speak on the positive effects of constructing a new coal-fired power plant in Sabah, knowing the industry, the market and the facts will help you to appear knowledgeable.

Other aspects of credibility, however, can only be developed when you can see yourself as others see you.  You need to find someone who can give you open, honest feedback and for someone in your position, this may be hard to do.  You’ve heard the saying before, I’m sure, “It’s lonely at the top.”  Yet, seeking out honest feedback and using it for critical self-assessment will help create the self-awareness you need to judge yourself as a leader more accurately.

It’s not easy to develop and maintain credibility, particularly in today’s scandal-prone business world.  Establishing yourself as credible, however, is the only way to cultivate and maintain followers who are also believers.