Posted on the wall of the counselor's office at the high school I work at is a quote by Sophocles that says, "Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud". This quote stands out to me because it represents the way I desire to live and how I desire to lead. Unfortunately, many people, including leaders choose to succeed by fraud rather than to fail by honor. Some people think that there is not anything wrong with choosing to succeed by fraud and do not think about the consequences. The consequences of this choice far outweigh the benefits of it. By choosing to succeed by fraud, leaders have brought a negative outlook on the organizations, companies, schools, churches, and other entities that they lead. This choice not only affects what is being led but it also affects the leader. And how does this choice affect the leader? It affects the leader in terms of credibility.
One of my three core values in leadership is leading with integrity. I believe that leading with integrity will ultimately determine the success of a leader. Integrity has always been something that I have desired to pursue. In my pursuit of integrity, I have learned that it is not about being perfect and being mistake-free. It is about a journey to be authentic as a person and as a leader. The first step in integrity is, to be honest about who you are and the commitments that you are willing to make. The second step is to follow through.
I have read several books on leadership that has helped me on my journey. Most of the leadership books that I have read were books that either a mentor or coach of mine suggested. These books have allowed me to gain more insight on leadership and have fostered growth within my leadership. One book that a mentor suggested was The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The second chapter of this book introduces the idea of credibility. The authors list the components of credibility as being:
- Honest
- Competent
- Inspiring
- Forward-Looking
After reading this, I recognized that my core value of leading with integrity fell within this concept and credibility became my word of the year and eventually became my motto of leading. The four components also place a clear definition of what it means to lead with integrity.
The authors also say that "credibility is the foundation of leadership". I agree with this statement because I have noticed that people are more willing to follow a credible leader than a leader who is not. Can you think of a leader who falls into the category of being credible? Can you think of a leader that you can trust because he/she leads with integrity? Can you think of a leader who is knowledgeable, inspirational, and always looking ahead (lacking complacency)? Have you thought of this leader yet? Are you this leader? This is the leader that I desire to be. In order to be a credible leader, I must not only value integrity but also value displaying each of the components of credibility.
Having any of the four components of credibility missing can, and most likely will, hurt the chances of me or anyone else of being considered as credible. Although the authors say that "credibility is the foundation of leadership", I believe that integrity is the foundation of credibility. People will be less willing to follow you if they do not trust you. How much you know, how inspiring you are, and how much you are looking ahead will be meaningless if there is no trust. Trust is what makes what you know, what you say, and your plans for the organization meaningful. Therefore, I encourage you to pursue credibility by leading with integrity.
Application:
- Do what you say you are going to do (follow-through).
- Become an expert in your field (read books, research concepts, ask questions).
- Encourage others by displaying and communicating your passion.
- Create vision statements for yourself and for the entity that you are leading.
Conclusion:
People are more willing to follow a credible leader. Although credibility is made up of four components, integrity is the foundational piece of credibility because people must be able to trust the leader they follow. If the leader losses the trust of the people, his/her intellect, inspiring words, and vision will not matter. If the leader wants those things to matter, he/she must commit to lead with integrity.
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