You and Your Credibility

What is credibility all about? It is the quality of being trusted and believed in; it aligns with your value and skills. Credibility is the key to your influence. I ask my students is it more important to be credible than powerful. What do you think? I get a lot of situational answers that is fine. But I agree with Fred Durst who said, It's not about how much movement you do, how much interaction there is, it just reeks of credibility if it's real. If it's contrived, it seems to work for a while for the people who can't filter out the real and unreal.

"Can it be taught? I believe a person's credibility can be enhanced. A person can be more credible if they come prepared to meetings by gathering relevant information on topics. If they listen and ask the right questions, and can summarize other people's thoughts. If they hold their shape, explain their intentions, and implement agreements. They must avoid statements that raise suspicion you are not listening and just going along with the crowd.

I like this example of a person that established not only her credibility but her team's credibility. The San Francisco Department for Disability and Aging Service had a street ad campaign called End Ageism. It contained photo portraits of five young faces with older eyes superimposed and personifying traits that never get old: passion, creativity, leadership, courage, and intelligence. What do you think about the outcome of the campaign?