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RUNNING HEAD: CREDIBILITY AS A FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP

Characteristics of Leadership: Credibility as a Foundation for Leadership

Nicholas Barlett

Virginia Commonwealth University

CREDIBILITY AS A FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP 2

Characteristics of Leadership: Credibility as a Foundation For Leadership

In every organization a leader is needed to step forward and guide stakeholders to a goal.

This person must make difficult decisions, take risks, break the status quo and have the

knowledge to know how to do this. A foundational understanding of what it means to lead

others is essential to being a leader. This introspective search for the components that make up a

great leader are done partly by learning from the examples of those who have demonstrated

exemplary leadership. Understanding the basic qualities that these great leaders displayed allows

us to see what they did that worked and what did not. We also can determine what applied to our

fields and predict the impact using these techniques may have in our practice.

Leadership cannot simply be learned by watching those that have done it well and

copying what successful leaders do. It requires students of leadership to look inward. Reflection

of what an individual holds to be essential and what others see as important characteristics can

show what areas within us can be developed. Developing these areas can guide us to the

ultimate goal of being the best leader we can be.

Reflection

Essential to becoming a better leader is a deep understanding of what characteristics great

leaders have. Once these characteristics have been identified a student of leadership must

evaluate these traits in themselves. The doctoral cohort I am in at this time has been

indispensable in exposing me to these characteristics. Through multiple inventories and a 360

evaluation we have been able to access our personal leadership characteristics. With a


knowledge of what it takes to be a great leader and a better understanding of the qualities that we

possess I feel better equipped to grow as a leader.

Central to this process is to define what it means to be a leader. Tomes have been filled

with this topic but at the core of the definition for leadership is the ability to influence others to

achieve a goal (Hughes, 2009). Some of the characteristics that have been identified in other

studies of leadership characteristic follow a more quantitative model are interpersonal skills,

group management, time management, expertise (Christopher, Duemer, Hardin, Olibas, Rodgers

& Spiller, 2004). A qualitative and quantitative study of leadership traits in 2004 drew

correlations between successful leadership and neuroticism, extraversion, openness to

experiences, agreeableness and conscientiousness (Bono, Gerhardt, Ilies & Judge, 2002).

Somewhat more esoteric but no less essential to leadership are qualities like the ability to

motivate others and having a clear vision for the organization (Eres, 2011).

In looking at the qualities that are prized in leaders I most closely related to those that

related to interpersonal relationships. In studying the leadership principles of Wilfred Drath

(2001), I felt that Interpersonal Influence was the leadership style that most comfortably meshed

with my ideas of leadership. This leadership principle is marked by the ability of the leaders to

guide colleagues in a direction while still using their ideas and expertise to meet an adaptive

challenge or a challenge that has no set guidance on how to address it. As opposed to the

Personal Dominance Principle and the Relational Dialogue principle, Interpersonal Influence

allows leaders to make decisions with the feedback of the stakeholders that they are leading. The

Personal Dominance Principle is a leadership style that places the authority of setting a focus for

the organization in the hands of the leader. While this can allow for quick organizational

changes because the leader is not encumbered by checking with his stakeholders, the leader also


is solely responsible for meeting any challenges that confront the organization. The Relational

Dialogue Principle enables those that are being led to contribute to the goal of the organization

but it also requires disparate groups with varied interests to work together towards a common

goal. For these reasons I have found that among Drath’s principles, that Interpersonal influence

was the most aligned with my personal ideals of leadership.

My desire to develop a relationship with stakeholders while still having the ability to set a

direction and establish standards of performance are seen in the results on my 360 Evaluation

Report. My result s for “Setting Direction”, “Teamwork”, “Sensitivity”, “Judgment” were the

highest and all ranked between the outstanding and highly effective ranges. All of these relate to

both my desire to work collaboratively as well as my desire to help set the direction for the

schools in which I work. All of which require building strong relationships with stakeholders.

As I began looking at these relationship-based characteristics I felt that many of these

qualities seemed so closely related that there must be something to draw these concepts together.

In researching I found the work of James Kouzes and Barry Posner. In their research they

combine the three characteristics of trustworthy, expertise and dynamism, under the umbrella of

credibility. This seems to be a foundational component to effective leadership.

Scholarly Support for Credibility as a Foundation of Leadership

If leading is the act of guiding constituents toward a shared goal then credibility is the

reason that those constituents decide to follow at all. In his 2009 article in Public Health

Nutrition, Roger Hughes plainly stated “At the core of leadership is the attribute of credibility”

(Hughes, 2009). It is for this reason that credibility has become a focus of leadership scholars

who are seeking a foundation for building a model for exemplary leadership.


Across a variety of disciplines it has been repeated that credibility is a quality which

effective leaders possess. In their study published in the Review of Public Personnel

Administration Gerald Gabris and Douglas Ihrke (2000) examine whether leadership credibility

has a role to play in the acceptance of a new initiative like a merit pay system. Their findings

demonstrated that the credibility of a leader significantly increased the success and performance

of these programs. This study illustrates the fact that having a credible leader can rub off on to

other people or programs. If a credible leader put his or her support behind an initiative then that

initiative carries more gravitas as well (Gabris & Ihrke, 2000).

Thomas Hatch, Melissa White and Deborah Faigenbaum (2005) researched why four

master teachers were able to have a major impact in their field. While their study illustrates that

there is no formula on how to make a great teacher leader they found that one of the

characteristics which they shared was profound sense of credibility among their colleagues. In

looking at their subjects they found that their constant search for expertise was essential to their

credibility. (Faigenbaum, Hatch & White, 2005)

Limitations Inherent in Credibility

While confidence is important to building credibility, it can create a backlash when

leaders are inaccurate. Confidence in a leader that is wrong appears to be misleading. Since

trust is an important component of credibility, having a leader who is wrong betrays that trust. It

is made worse when that leader is so confident that they do not see their error. Rather than

credibility, a leader that is confident but wrong is seen as arrogant. Research shows that leaders

in this circumstance see a precipitous drop in their credibility; even deeper than a leader that is

wrong and does not behave confidently (MacCoun, Moore & Sah, 2013).


Kouzes and Posner readily admit that in modern American culture there is a

predisposition to be leery of anyone proposing to be a trustworthy, devoted or ethical leader

worthy to guide anyone. In the modern era there are examples of CEO’s collecting huge

paychecks while their companies are bailed out by the government. Politicians have been caught

with their hands out and their pants down. Religious leaders have stolen from the offering plate.

There exist plenty of examples of leader who lack some of the core attributes like honesty,

knowledge or the ability to motivate. If these are essential to being a credible leader then why

have others succeeded without these qualities? This disillusionment has created a kneejerk

distrust of those trying to take on leadership roles. Establishing credibility in this environment is

made difficult immediately because of the baseline cynicism facing any leader. (Kouzes &

Posner, 1993)

Going back to 1532CE, Niccolo Machiavelli pointed out in The Prince that leaders have

been confronted with deciding whether or not to spend time and effort on building relationships

with constituents. This sentiment is seen in his famous question “Is it better to be loved than

feared or feared than loved?” He warned that trying to garner the affections of those you lead is a

fool’s errand. It is much simpler to spend time focused on the goals that are central to an

organization’s vision (Machiavelli, 1947). While keeping constituents around you in fear is an

outmoded form of leadership the truth still exists that building relationships are complicated and

require constant maintenance. For this reason building credibility can be cumbersome for those

trying to create sudden changes within an organization. It also represents turning over some of

the authority inherent in a leadership role. The collaborative nature involved in building

credibility requires a leader to accept that constituents hold power as well. This complicates


matters because leaders must reckon with those that they are trying to lead. (Kouzes & Posner,

2003)

Strength Inherent in Credibility

Credibility can be contagious. When someone who is seen as credible supports a new

leader the fact that this person has the backing of a credible person engenders a predisposition to

find them as credible as well. As leaders work to grow the capacity of others to take on

leadership roles, the ability to give their colleagues an immediate boost to their credibility is a

great advantage (Gabris & Ihrke, 2000).

Credibility provides a cushion. Credible leaders can be wrong more often than leaders

that lack credibility. Since followers are willing to assume that credible leaders are correct they

are less likely to question them. This cushion can allow leaders to take risks that are needed for

an organization to excel (MacCoun, Moore & Sah, 2013).

Credibility creates motivation within constituents. Leaders that have established

credibility have developed a common vision for an organization with their constituents. Creating

a shared vision is no small task but Kouzes and Posner (1988) explained why this is so

important. They pointed out that a shared vision necessarily means that followers had to buy in

to the ideas of others while adding their own. The direct participation of an individual gives

them a stake in the success of an organization. Stakeholders are more likely to do more that is

expected of them because they have a vested interest in the organization (Kouzes & Posner,

1988)

The rewards of leadership built on credibility are greater. There are endless approaches

to leadership but leaders that create credibility must establish relationships with constituents.


Leaders have been able to achieve success without endeavoring to gain a closer connection with

those whom they lead but they have weakened the link that the followers feel with why they are

moving toward a goal. The credible leader will have his or her entire team to celebrate with at

the realization of a goal. Leaders that lack this connection are isolated from their constituents

and have no one with whom to rejoice (Kouzes & Posner, 1993).

From the field of public health, human resources, business and education, scholars have

recognized the power of credibility. All of these disciplines highlight this characteristic because

they are fields that require interpersonal relationships. When relationships are important to an

organization, credibility is a quality that can create a powerful connection with constituents.

Leaders seeking to be credible must be diligent and deal with many obstacles but it is so

empowering that it is needed to drive constituents toward a goal.

Adding Credibility to Practice

Modern leaders must have a foundational understanding of credibility because leadership

is a relationship. Leaders can choose what kind of relationship they want with those that they

leading but there is no avoiding that a connection of some sort is ubiquitous. It is well

documented that leaders who have established a relationship of credibility are much more likely

to have the support of their constituents. The next great benefit of a credible leader is the fact

that constituents will contribute their own expertise to meet a common vision because they

contributed to making this vision. Embracing this characteristic is not just great in theory.

Credibility must be used in practice as well.

The practice of creating a credo or statement that roots all of your decisions is a strategy

to develop credibility. Followers want to know what their leaders value. A credo grounds a


leader in a truth which allows followers to predict and feel comfort in knowing what drives their

leaders. Holding to one’s credo is important because it requires leaders to follow another

practice that is paramount to developing trust and credibility (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).

Credible leaders must say what they mean and mean what they say. Paying lip service to

an item that is important to a constituent corrodes a leader’s credibility. On the other hand a

leader that can point to a track record of doing what they say they are going to do provides their

followers with solace in the knowledge that they can depend on their leader to be a person of

their word (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).

Credibility does not just generate among followers because you are charismatic. One of

the keys to building credibility is getting closer. Leaders must open themselves as human beings

and followers must be known beyond the information in a staff directory. Opening up to

colleagues demonstrates your trust for them. This transparency will serve to show others that

you have nothing to hide. Leaders that have nothing to hide are much more likely to be

trustworthy and therefore have more credibility (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).

If leaders are going to be an open book then they must ensure that they are ethical by

nature. Scandals have littered the headlines in recent years of leaders of all different kinds that

experience a fall from grace because of unethical behavior that surfaced. Even the most credible

leaders cannot completely shield themselves from the damage that comes with a tarnished

reputation. (MacCoun, Moore & Sah, 2013).

Practitioners within education leadership can take some specific steps to build credibility.

In the field of education, learning is sincerely respected. Therefore expanding on expertise is a

valuable tool for increasing credibility. A leader that is constantly in search of ways to growth in


skill and knowledge is tantalizingly credible but even more powerful is taking what is learned

and sharing it with colleagues. Discussing new discoveries with those that are following builds a

closer relationship as well. The extension of this is to carry what was learned outside of the

school or organization. Not only is it possible to now create connections with a new expanded

group of colleagues but credibility is bolstered with the original group of colleagues because the

leader’s new ideas have been valued outside of the school or organization (Faigenbaum, Hatch &

White, 2005).

The practice of building a means to showcase the knowledge or skills of constituents of

an organization is a great way for educational leaders to increase their credibility. A leader that

demonstrates a desire to build capacity within followers shows devotion and that they want to

push others to succeed. This results in a positive feedback loop where a credible leader passes

on credibility to a follower by supporting them and this act results in increased credibility of the

leader (Faigenbaum, Hatch & White, 2005).

Conclusion

I have found that being a credible leader is essential to my role as a leader. My 360

evaluation illustrates that on the back of these relationships I have created credibility with those

whom I work. A feeling of mutual trust in the expertise of one another within the organization is

essential to getting colleagues to move with you towards our common goal. While a positive

relationship is not always possible a leader can always be seen as credible. If this leader has

established trust, demonstrated an expertise in their field and communicated a vision for the

future they can gain credibility with those that they are diametrically opposed to. This ability to


reach all members of an organization makes credibility an exceptionally powerful tool for

leaders.

Leaders that lack credibility are doomed to fight with their constituents as they drag them

toward a goal that the leader has predetermined. Among all of the characteristics that researchers

have identified as part of what makes a great leader, credibility has been shown time and again in

a variety of disciplines to be central to what constitutes a great leader. By evaluating the

practices that credible leaders used we can challenge ourselves to add them to our regular

practices. The far reaching and powerful nature of credible leadership makes it a foundational

characteristic for leaders.


References

Bono, J., Gerhardt, M., Ilies, R., & Judge, T. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative

and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 765-780.

doi:10.1037//0021-9010.87.4.765.

Christopher, M., Duemer, L., Hardin, F., Olibas, L., Rodgers, T., & Spiller, K. (2004). Case

study of characteristics of effective leadership in graduate student collaborative

work. Education, 124(4), 721-726.

Drath, W. (2001). The deep blue sea: Rethinking the sources of leadership. (1st ed.). San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eres, F. (2011). Relationship between teacher motivation and transformational leadership

characteristics of school principals. International Journal of Education, 3(2), 1-17.

Faigenbaum, D., Hatch, T., & White, M. E. (2005). Expertise, credibility, and influence: How

teachers can influence policy, advance research, and improve performance. Teachers

College Record, 107(5), 1004-1035.

Gabris, G., & Ihrke, D. (2000). Improving employee acceptance toward performance appraisal

and merit pay systems: The role of leadership credibility. Review of Public Personnel

Administration,20(41), 41-53. doi: 10.1177/0734371X0002000104.

Hughes, R. (2009). Time for the leadership development intervention in the public health


nutrition workforce. Public Health Nutrition, 12(8), 1029. doi:10.1017/S1368980009990395.

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (1988). Relating leadership and credibility. Psychological Reports, 63,

527-530.

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (1993). The credibility factor. The Healthcare Forum Journal, 36(4),

16-24.

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2003). Credibility: How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand

it. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

MacCoun, R. J., Moore, D. A., & Sah, S. (2013). Cheap talk and credibility: The consequences

of confidence and accuracy on advisor credibility and persuasiveness. Organizational

Behavior and Human Decision Process, (121), 246-255.

Machiavelli, N. (1947). The prince. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Harlan Davidson Inc.

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