BUILDING CREDIBILITY
Overview Topic Overview Being a credible business partner is critical to our ability to lead and develop trusted relationships, as well as to influence and deliver results. A key element in building trust, credibility is created by a mix of conviction (knowing what you do; being an expert in your field; being clear on your beliefs, vision, and objectives) and connection (connecting with your team, clients, leaders, and earning their belief in your words and actions). This module focuses on the main elements that make up credibility and actions that can be taken to build and maintain credibility, create a personal brand, and be seen as an expert in your field. Key Concepts C-Squared Key Tools The Trust Equation Building Credibility Personal Branding Key Takeaways Credibility is a key ingredient of trust and a vital element in day-to-day business leadership. To be credible people need to believe in what you say (being honest), which needs to be underpinned by your knowledge and experience (qualifications, skills, expertise). Being honest, having a clear vision, and being motivated (conviction), as well as having integrity, collaborating and engaging with others (connection) work together towards building credibility. Authenticity and integrity are key to being a credible leader. Know what you stand for and be true to that. Exploring what are your areas of expertise are and which ones aren t allows you to understand better where you thrive, and where you need to develop further. Work on developing these areas, and make sure you shine on those areas where you are the best. Deliver results, connect with your network, teach, and build a respected online and offline presence to develop and establish your personal brand.
C-Square Model Dominating Differentiated Whether leading, selling or advising, conviction and connection are two indispensable attributes in building credibility. Too often one is present without the other, or worse, there is a lack of both. Research has shown that truly great leaders possess a powerful blend of conviction and connection. Conviction Line Potency I know what s best, just do as I tell you Detached Influence and integrity win-win Dependent The C-Square model is a matrix that represents the mix between these attributes. On the vertical axis, conviction. On the horizontal, connection. Conviction represents qualities such as enthusiasm, belief, faith, determination, confidence, motivation, charisma, vision, control, certainty, drive, decisiveness, authority, compelling. Connection represents qualities such as empathy, friendliness, caring, sensitivity, listening, dialogue, engaging, and integrity. Safety It s not my problem Comfort I want to be liked Use the C-Square model to review and reflect on where you believe you stand on the conviction and connection line, and assess your own credibility levels. Connection Line
Trust The Trust Equation Credibility Reliability Intimacy How to use it? Credibility: There are two components to leadership credibility. The first is the extent to which your team believes your words and actions. The second is the extent to which your knowledge and experience underpins what you are saying. These components combine emotional, subjective responses with objective factors, such as qualifications. Trust Self Interest Reliability: Leaders must follow through on promises and commitments. To maintain trust, a leader must be fair and predictable in how they approach situations and people. Developed by Charles H. Green, the Trust Equation is an algebraic expression that reflects the importance of trust in business relationships and the components that play into building high trust. It provides a scientific, analytical and actionable framework that reflects the relationship between behaviors and attitudes on the levels of trust internal and external stakeholders have in one s business. Intimacy: The ability create a personal connection. Leaders must recognize that work is a personal place and issues like career development, promotions, compensation, reorganizations, hiring and firing are intensely personal. Leaders can increase trust and commitment to their agendas by being emotionally honest about these issues. Self Interest: The impact of Credibility, Reliability and Intimacy is restricted where a leader is seen as acting out of their own self interest. Acting out of your own self interest can destroy trust and harm engagement and commitment, because people perceive relationships and behavior as disingenuous, and manipulative. Attaining trust in business requires good scores on all four variables of the Trust Equation (high credibility, reliability and intimacy, and low self-orientation). Living these values is the best way of increasing trustworthiness. As you look at engagement and commitment in your organization or team, consider your own Trust Equation.
Building Credibility Integrity This tool provides an insight into the elements that make up credibility. It is not a one time activity, but a way of leading. Reflection and considering these aspects should help you in being attentive to these elements and developing long standing credibility. How to use it? Credible leaders energize and excite teams, inspiring trust in their actions, intentions and judgment. A credible leader attracts enthusiastic and committed people that want to work for a shared goal. Credibility is not just important in leadership; people need credibility when giving presentations, delivering training and selling ideas. This tool provides a method and a set of practices to establish credibility. In this model, we present three key areas for leaders to focus on when developing and maintaining credibility: integrity, expertise, and team focus. Team Focus CREDIBILITY Expertise Integrity Credible leaders have clarity about who they are and what they stand for. They know their values and their actions reflect them. Beliefs, words and actions are aligned, and they follow through on what they promise. When it comes to leadership, credibility expands beyond doing what you say you will, towards doing what we say we will. This means that actions align with personal values, as well as with what the organization values and believes. Expertise Credibility implies having the competence and ability to deliver on promises and achieve results. To know what you are doing, and having the training and experience, as well as confidence, to deliver. Having a clear area of expertise, as well as staying up-to date and learning continuously are important elements of developing and establishing expertise. Team Focus Credible leaders understand the values and desires of their team, and find common ground. They focus on developing their team s capabilities, and recognize and reward people for actions that align with shared values and goals. It takes time, patience and consistency to earn and maintain credibility. Credibility is earned through real world actions, that speak for the integrity, expertise, and team focus shown by leaders.
Personal Branding 4 Maintain your brand 3 Communicate your brand 2 Create your brand 1 Discover your brand Your personal brand story is the essence of what you want to convey about your ambition, passion, unique talents, personality and your leading attributes, in order to produce a positive reaction. Personal branding describes the process by which individuals differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence (Dan Schawbel, 2009). Personal branding represents how you appear to the world. It should, therefore, be carefully planned and focused, so that it aligns with and enables future objectives. This tool can be used to develop your own personal brand, to gradually build brand equity within your organization and consistently communicate with your audience.. It s about discovering what is true and unique about you and showing the world who you are and what you re capable of..
Personal Branding - Action Ideas Discover your brand What makes you different: Identify what is it that makes you unique. What is your brand? Write down your vision, goals, values, strengths and areas of expertise.think of evidence of your brand (what have you What do your customers and team say of you?) Developing your ideal brand is not only about who you are, but who you want to be and where you want to go. What do you want to be known for? Communicate your brand What makes you different: Identify what is it that makes you unique. What is your brand? Start writing and publishing: Become a trusted source of information. Consider different mediums for publishing your expertise, such as journals, books, websites, social media, or blogs. Social media profile: Take the time to expand your social media presence, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and ensure a clear, regular, and consistent message in line with your personal brand standards across each platform. Speak at events & Network: Attend events as a speaker and participate in professional networking events to meet influencers in your area. In the online world, engage in community discussions whenever you can. Create your brand The pitch for you: Identify what your brand is promising, and create a killer offline and online presence that reflects this. Everything you do, or don t do, communicates your brand. Act like a leader, walk the talk, and put your expertise and capabilities in practice. Tom Peters posits four measuring sticks for personal brands: be a great leader and teammate, be an exceptional expert and add value, be a broad-gauged visionary, and be a businessperson, focused on delivering pragmatic outcomes Develop yourself, build new skills and capabilities that match your ideal brand. Maintain your brand The future of you: As you grow and mature, reinvent yourself and keep your brand up to date. Deliver results, be remarkable and learn new skills. Keep using the channels and media to display your brand.