Self Help

Would others come to work for me if I went to a new organization? Would others recommend that I be hired to work in their group or company? Would others want me to be on a critical project team with them? These fierce questions get right at the heart of whether you have what it takes to become a leader and build credibility.

However, know that sometimes the subjective nature of credibility can create unfair standards. Think about a person with a nonmilitary background who works in a military organization. Imagine a young person just out of school assigned to a project team where everyone else has more than twenty years’ experience.

Both the nonmilitary and younger person may be highly motivated and competent, yet others may rate their credibility as low, which limits their capacity to gain commitment. Obviously, such credibility standards are unfair. When you land in such situations, you do have some choices. An alternative is to build credibility in areas that offset what may be an unfair standard.

For example, in one organization, a nonmilitary person identified two key markers that the military personnel felt defined credibility: The ability to analyze complex issues and the capacity to be decisive. The nonmilitary person knew she had achieved an important level of credibility when she overhead the comment, “Well, she’s not military, but she can really cut through the tough problems and make a decision.”