Credibility
Dwight Eisenhower once said,
"In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to
have followers, a man must have their confidence. Hence, the supreme
quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real
success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football
field, in an army, or in an office. If a man's associates find him guilty
of being phony, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he
will fail. His teachings and actions must square with each other. The
first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose" (Dwight
D. Eisenhower, Great Quotes From Great Leaders, ed. Peggy Anderson,
Lombard: Great Quotations, 1989).
Are we credible? Do people have confidence in our leadership? To make
an impact on peoples' lives, we must be credible leaders.
Credibility Defined
Credibility is the "reasonable grounds for being believed." One who
is credible is trustworthy. We have confidence in a person's character
and competence. Socrates said, "The first key to greatness is to be
in reality what we appear to be."
The terms integrity and honesty help define credibility.
Integrity is "the state of being complete or undivided." Terms that
are parallel to integrity (Hebrew, tom, tomim) help us understand it:
righteousness (Psalm 7:8); uprightness (Psalm 25:21); without wavering
(Psalm 26a:1 NRSV, NASB, and NIV); and blameless (Psalm 101:2, NRSV);
Hebrew uses tom twice in verse; otherwise translated "integrity"). Several
Old Testament characters had integrity: Noah (Genesis 6:9); Abraham
(Genesis 17:1); Jacob (Genesis 25:27); Job (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3); and David
(1 Kings 9:4). English translations frequently render the Hebrew as
"perfect or blameless." In the New Testament integrity occurs only in
Titus 2:7 in reference to teaching (NRSV, NIV, REB). The idea of singleness
of heart or mind is often present: Matthew 5:8; 6:22; James 1:7, 8;
4:8 (Holman Bible Dictionary).
Honesty means "fairness and straightforwardness of conduct." The KJV
frequently uses honesty or its cognates whereas modern translations
use other words: honorable/honorably (Romans 13:13; Philippians 4:8;
Hebrews 13:18; 1 Peter 2:12); noble (Luke 8:15; Romans 12:17); dignity
(1 Timothy 2:2); and properly (1 Thessalonians 4:12). Men of "honest
report" are men of good standing (Acts 6:3, NRSV; Holman Bible Dictionary).
Leaders gain respect and trust when they do what is right, mentor workers,
listen, celebrate good work, follow through on commitments, trust and
empower others, share their visions, open doors, overcome personal hardships,
admit mistakes, advise others, solve problems creatively, and teach
well. Credible leaders influence the lives and decisions of their followers
(James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Credibility: How Leaders Gain
and Lose It, Why People Demand It, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,
p. 50).
Myths about credibility and leadership
Myths about leadership and credibility abound.
- Image is more important than character. We develop credibility when
character is more important than image. Credibility crumbles without
integrity. We can pretend to be honest, genuine, and competent for
a time, but the pressure of problems reveals our true character.
- Leaders have more rights than followers. Position does not grant
special privileges. Leaders actually have fewer rights and more responsibility
than others. Servant leaders make personal sacrifices.
- Leadership is a position of power. Leadership has little to do with
position. Leadership is influence, not position.
- A leader can lead by position regardless of example. A credible
leader leads by example, not by the power of position. A leader who
does not model his expectations doesn't have followers for very long.
- Charisma is fundamental to leadership. This erroneous view can lead
to hero worship and cultism. Charisma is the result, not the cause,
of effective leadership.
- A leader's personal and public life do not have to be consistent.
This is an attempt to excuse moral and character flaws. Credibility
requires congruency and consistency in all areas of one's life.
- Integrity isn't essential to success. If we define success in terms
of money, position, or power, then integrity isn't necessary. True
success, however, is living in harmony with God's principles. This
requires integrity.
Credibility and trust
Credible leadership is trustworthy. We develop trust through open,
honest communication. Leaders also need to be vulnerable. The fear of
being hurt often prohibits us from developing relationships that encourage
trust and that influence others.
When people distrust, they are suspicious and play mind games. Lack
of trust leads one to disguise, distort or ignore facts because of fear
or anger. When a worker becomes defensive, miscommunication occurs.
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner discuss trust and relationships.
Their studies reveal that those who work with leaders they trust make
better decisions themselves. They share their feelings, are honest about
group problems, and are eager to find solutions. They report high levels
of mutual influence, greater work satisfaction, higher motivation to
act upon decisions, and team closeness. More than 66 percent of those
in low-trust groups say they would seriously consider looking for another
position (The Leadership Challenge, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,
1987, pp. 147, 148).
Two factors impact credibility in leadership.
The trust fact. The primary difference between high-performance and
low-performance groups is the degree to which they trust their supervisor.
Trust is fragile and delicate. It doesn't come easily or quickly. We
withhold trust until we feel safe and respected. We want others to prove
themselves before we trust them. We can destroy trust with a single
violation.
Richard Huseman and John Hatfield describe attitudes and behaviors
that occur at different trust levels:
- No trust. People who have lost their trust in a relationship, leader,
or organization live by the motto, "I'm going to get them before they
get me." They serve their own interests to protect themselves.
- Low trust. People in low-trust relationships are suspicious. They
don't commit beyond their current trust level.
- High trust. People in high-trust relationships focus on giving rather
than getting. They feel sure they will not be used or betrayed (Carol
Goman, Managing for Commitment: Building Loyalty Within Organizations,
Palo Alto, CA: Crisp Publications, 1991, p. 23).
The equity factor. When we give more than we get in a relationship,
we want to restore equity. People calculate the costs and benefits of
relationships. They may come to your church or Bible study, but if the
benefit is not equal to or greater than the cost, they may become frustrated
and leave. People evaluate leadership the same way. They support leaders
as long as the benefit is equal to the cost. Their support, service,
and giving reflects their perception of the benefit. People will commit
to trustworthy, credible leaders.
How to build trust and enhance credibility
- Demonstrate trust in the other person first. If we assume that the
other person is not trustworthy, we undermine the opportunity to build
a trusting relationship. Being hurt is always a possibility, but a
true leader takes the first risk.
- Be sensitive to people's needs and interests. Develop a genuine
interest in people. Ask about their needs and interests. Listen to
the tones of their voices. Ask questions that show care and concern.
- Foster a spirit of cooperation. Zig Ziglar outlines five rules for
getting cooperation for others.
- The sensitive, effective leader knows he doesn't have
all the facts.
- Real leadership involves working with and getting maximum production
from those with whom we disagree.
- Effective leaders see others' perspectives. They sell the advantages
of cooperation instead of demanding it.
- Organized leaders plan their projects. They choose the right
times and places to present their ideas clearly and concisely.
- Successful leaders don't allow their prejudices to prohibit
them from accepting valid proposals and ideas. They want to win
cooperation with an open mind (Zig Ziglar, Top Performance, New
York: Berkley Books, 1987, p. 35).
Evaluate your leadership
People who see their leaders as credible also see themselves, their
responsibilities, their coworkers, and their organizations differently
from those who view their leaders as not credible.
Does you church see you as a credible leader? A true leader has more
than a title on his door. He also has the trust and confidence of those
who follow him.
