Credibility Quick Shot

Credibility is the social currency for professional relationships. Without it, leaders are ineffective and irrelevant. There is a shortage of credible leadership today. I want to change that. Right here. Right now.

I have a difficult time working with people I don’t trust. It takes me longer than most to move from trust to distrust. Once there, I don’t turn back easily.

I value the relationship and always look to preserve it. I give the benefit of the doubt. I give second and third chances. I look for logical motives for what appear to be illogical actions. If you look for the leader who puts her hand out only to get it slapped - you've found me.

I understand having a position but I don’t see the need for positioning. I understand having an opinion but I don’t see the need to ever misrepresent the facts. Leaders operate in a world of grey and it is a shortsighted leader who sees the world as black and white and strives to win at all costs. Doing so costs leaders more than the win. And it impacts all of us.

Are you with me?

Photo credit: Unknown

{Hitting the Road} Leadership and Credibility Presentation

I have the honor, or is it street cred, to say that I've been working for a living longer than I've not been working.

When I consider the many jobs I've had, my favorite, by far, was my time as an ROTC instructor. Sure, we had the have-to-teach classes like military history, tactics and marksmanship but we also had the fun classes.

The best part of my week was when was able to mold and shape young minds and teach Leadership.

The thing about leadership is it extends beyond the walls of a classroom. When you are a leader, you wake up and step into a living, breathing leadership learning lab. In this lab, you learn from experiences. You often learn more from the bad experiences than from the good.

Last week, I had the opportunity to share my experiences and talk about leadership and credibility with the professionals of ALAMN. 

I tripped over my carefully constructed outline, botched a few lines and forgot to advance a slide or two but I resisted my natural urge to bolt, stayed within my time and noone got hurt.

It. Was. Awesome.

So awesome it may be time to take this conversation on the road.

Note: click on the "empty" slides for cool fly-in text.

Before I pack my bags, I'd like to publicly thank Cheryl Nelson, ALAMN Business Partner and Conference Committee, for finding me, the professionals of ALAMN for their generosity and Sean Schuette, CMP, Director of Meetings and Events at IntrinXec Management Inc., for the smooth running of the behind-the-scenes show.