James Kouzes, co-author of “The Leadership Challenge” distills the foundation of successful leadership to credibility.
Credibility creates trust. To be trusted, we must be trustworthy. We may admire what others have; we may respect what they do. However, we will not trust them until we feel we know who they are.
Credibility comes from what we do consistently – under pressure and over the long term. Leaders remain consistent. Leaders stay true to their values.
If you’ve been leading people for any length of time, they know what you value. If it differs significantly from what you’ve been saying, you are killing your own credibility and eroding your own leadership foundation.
Tags: attitude, choice, congruency, connecting, customer relationship, leadership, trust