Paying the Bills

“Credibility is expensive because the bills never stop.” ~ Shane Parris, Brain Food.

Parris goes on to say, “You pay it in conversations no one overhears … You pay for it every time you say the hard thing instead of the easy one. The strange part is that you're paying for years before anyone notices, and you can lose it all in an afternoon.”

The root origin of credibility is credo meaning “I trust or believe.” As leaders we make promises and commitments about ourselves, our actions and what we will do to lead our organizations to meet our shared mission and vision. When we make promises our people instinctively perform a ‘credit check’ to ascertain if we’ve kept our promises in the past and if we have the required skills, knowledge and competency to deliver on the promises made.

Of all the attributes of credibility, trust is the most significant. Our people are continually gauging – “Can I trust this person?”

As Shane Parris suggests, the work of credibility is ongoing, it takes time and the work never ends. Kouzes and Posner agree and in their book, Credibility, they state that “The credibility foundation is built brick by brick.  And as each new fragment is secured, the basis on which we can erect the hopes of the future is gradually built.”  They suggest six disciplines of credibility; discovering yourself, appreciating constituents, affirming shared values, developing capacity, serving a purpose and sustaining hope. 

How are you being intentional about paying the bills of credibility?