Want to Establish Your Credibility?

5 Keys to Lasting Influence and Impact

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Want to Establish Your Credibility?

How important is credibility if you want to create a life where people respect you, seek out your knowledge and insights, and trust you?

Credibility is vital because it’s one of the cornerstones of success and happiness. Without it, respect, trust, and influence are hard to earn. That’s saying a lot.

What makes a person credible in your eyes? Is it their knowledge, honesty, or how they follow up on their commitments?

All of these and several more components combine to build credibility. Demonstrated competence and reliability round out the mix.

Major Components of Credibility

Establishing credibility leads to inclusion in important decisions, being trusted to contribute and tell the truth even when others may not want to hear, and being viewed as a person with the best interest of all parties under consideration.

Credibility is essential to accomplish your mission and vision in any profession or personal relationship.

These are five essential components of credibility. We’ll cover five more in our next issue. Practice these values daily, or use this list as a reminder to strengthen your credibility over time.

Integrity, Honesty, and Trustworthiness

Integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness are foundational for demonstrating credibility. You can exhibit all of these recommended values and characteristics, but they are for naught if people don’t fundamentally trust you.

You demonstrate integrity by making decisions based on what’s fair, just, and equitable, not merely what’s advantageous. An ethical person inspires confidence and serves as a role model for other people.

In one of the most significant lapses at a client organization I have experienced, an organization leader stood before the team and said, “If we can pull off x, y, and z, we’ll all be driving red convertibles this time next year.”

The employees did x, y, and z and experienced no material difference in their financial condition. Loss of credibility? Yes, big time. They still loved the optimistic outlook but never trusted their leader again.

Authenticity

Be yourself and stay true to your values. No matter who you are, you are okay. People trust genuine and consistent characters rather than those who put on a facade. Authenticity creates a foundation for lasting credibility.

Authenticity does not mean inflexibility. Even authentic people know they must behave differently in response to changing circumstances. However, their fundamental values still need to guide their responses to the environment.

Trusted Consistency, Reliability, and Resilience

You are dependable in both your words and actions. People find you credible when they can depend on you, especially under pressure or in challenging situations.

You consistently follow through on promises. Consistency builds trust over time; people can count on you to deliver without surprises.

If you can’t keep a commitment, tell people what is happening along the way so they are never blindsided.

Stay calm and adapt when things go wrong. People consider those who navigate change and adversity credible because they are poised, optimistic, and have a clear plan for moving forward.

Knowledge and Expertise

You need sound, well-informed insights and accurate assessments of situations. Your knowledge is reliable, whether gained through education, reading, experience, or consulting experts.

This includes openly saying if you don’t know or aren’t sure and providing a timeline for having the correct information.

Another expertise component is knowledge of your industry, profession, and business climate.

For example, to be credible as an HR leader, you must stay up-to-date on HR trends, such as employee hiring, recruitment-friendly employee benefits, and what people need from the employer.

You stay informed and show that you value growth and self-improvement. Demonstrating a willingness to learn keeps you adaptable and knowledgeable, essential traits for credibility.

This means pursuing degrees and certificates that underscore your competency in some industries and occupations.

Transparency and Decision Making

You share information openly and communicate clearly without withholding details others would find helpful or relevant. Transparency, especially in decision-making, reinforces trust.

Tell people the steps you took when making a decision and what you considered as you reached your conclusion. This enables them to challenge part of your process to reach the findings rather than disagree with the whole idea.

Letting others in on your thought processes builds credibility and trust. People who see you use their thoughts and input more willingly contribute their ideas, and that’s good.

When discussing complex or difficult topics, credible individuals remain transparent about their intentions, goals, and any limitations they might be facing.

They communicate openly about the reasons behind their stance or decision, helping others see the broader perspective.

This openness reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and shows respect for the other party.

Summary and a Challenge
When you build credibility, you commit daily to integrity, honesty, empathy, and consistent action.

Which component of credibility do you feel is your strength? And which one could use some attention? Choose one area to focus on this week and see how it impacts your interactions.

Share your thoughts. We can learn from each other’s experiences.

Expand Your ValuesCrafting Toolkit

Discover curated resources that deepen your understanding of building credibility and other current topics.

• Interested in exploring the hybrid workplace option? In the Harvard Business Review, “One Company A/B Tested Hybrid Work. Here’s What They Found.” Research shows that employees working from home three days a week report higher job satisfaction and lower turnover, thus saving companies millions in recruiting and training.

  To implement a successful hybrid workplace approach, leaders should establish solid performance management systems, coordinate hybrid schedules, and secure leadership support. Testing different management approaches can further refine what works best,

• According to Nick Morgan, PhD in “How to Establish Trust and Credibility” in Psychology Today, “You demonstrate trust in terms of content by showing you understand any problems or concerns. You establish credibility by showing you know how to solve those problems.”

• “Leaders Must Be Credible to Be Persuasive….and That’s the Bottom Line” in the Florida Sterling Council We Are Sterling suggests that effective leaders inspire others by communicating a compelling vision, building on shared goals, and establishing trust. Credibility—rooted in knowledge, expertise, and strong relationships—attracts committed followers. Trust is the foundation of credibility, motivating people to work toward a common purpose and shared success.