When many people think about what makes a leader, too often they think about things like vision, inspiration, and charisma. They think about knowing what to do and getting people to do it. Or they think about confidence and decisiveness.
Sure, these are important sometimes. But there are many other aspects of leadership that remain hidden to many—and to new leaders.
A big one is credibility. When we have credibility, we’re worthy of belief and trust. It comes from a powerful combination of both character and competence.
Credibility is one of the most important elements of effective leadership.
High credibility is a tremendous asset for leaders seeking high performance. And on the flipside, low credibility is devastating to leader effectiveness.
Here are ten powerful benefits of credibility in leadership.
10 Benefits of Credibility in Leadership
When leaders have high levels of credibility, it leads to the following:
- greater influence and persuasiveness, with workers placing more faith in what the leader says
- more willing followers
- higher worker morale, effort, engagement, enthusiasm, and pride in the organization
- greater loyalty and commitment among workers
- more open lines of communication
- more collaboration among workers and better team spirit
- a talent magnet, with other workers wanting to be on that leader’s team
- facilitation of what leadership expert Stephen M. R. Covey calls “the speed of trust”—with speed going up in the team and costs going down
- higher productivity and performance
- greater trust from outside stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, partners, customers)
Leadership Derailers Assessment
Take this assessment to identify what’s inhibiting your leadership effectiveness. It will help you develop self-awareness and identify ways to improve your leadership.
Those who have worked hard to earn credibility are likely to encounter more and better opportunities and to have greater achievements.
Of course, there’s a flipside to this as well. When leaders lack credibility, they lose worker respect. Workers may begin to distrust them, and they may begin to phone it in or start looking elsewhere for a better work situation.
Leaders, take note:
earning credibility is one of the most important things you can do.
Tools for You
- Leadership Derailers Assessment to help you identify what’s inhibiting your leadership effectiveness
- Personal Values Exercise to help you determine and clarify what’s most important to you
- Alignment Scorecard to help you assess your organization’s level of alignment
Personal Values Exercise
Complete this exercise to identify your personal values. It will help you develop self-awareness, including clarity about what’s most important to you in life and work, and serve as a safe harbor for you to return to when things are tough.
Related Articles
- “The Importance of Credibility in Leadership”
- “The Importance of Integrity in Leadership”
- “Leadership and the Ethics Imperative”
- “The Importance of Trust in Leadership”
- “Character-Infused Leadership”
Postscript: Quotations on Credibility and Leadership
- “Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.” -John C. Maxwell, pastor and leadership author and speaker
- “…people want to follow leaders who, more than anything, are credible. Credibility is the foundation of leadership. People must be able, above all else, to believe in their leaders. To willingly follow them, people must believe that the leaders’ word can be trusted.” -James Kouzes and Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge
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Gregg Vanourek is a writer, teacher, and TEDx speaker on personal development and leadership. He is co-author of three books, including Triple Crown Leadership: Building Excellent, Ethical, and Enduring Organizations (a winner of the International Book Awards written with his father, Bob Vanourek). Check out their Leadership Derailers Assessment or get their monthly newsletter. If you found value in this, please forward it to a friend. Every little bit helps!
