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Shed The Superman Cape
Superman is a super hero due to his many powers. Even with all of his strengths, Superman has vulnerability -- Kryptonite -- therefore, he is not perfect. He has a flaw. In spite of this weakness, Superman's credibility is beyond reproach.
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TOP SHELF TIP NO. 24
"He who has never learned to obey
cannot be a good commander."
Aristotle, Greek philosopher, 384-322 BC | |
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The greatest temptation managers face today is a desire to appear like a Superman to their sales team; perceived as perfect, flawless, impenetrable, and invincible.
This attempt to create the illusion of perfection distracts from whatever credibility was there in the first place.
Building Credibility Without Being Bullet Proof
Credibility is the key ingredient in leadership. Credibility, like credit from a bank, is given to those who are trusted. Therefore, credibility is given to leaders whom sales teams find believable. If leaders aren't believable, nor trusted to represent themselves honestly, they will have little credibility.
The answer is in being real, or authentic. Today and tomorrow, Promotional Consultant Today will review several tips to help you become a more genuine leader.
Honor Others, Let Others Honor You
Shining a light on the accomplishments of others has many benefits. It provides reinforcement of the behaviors you want to see in the organization. It boosts morale by sending a message of success for all to see. Also, it teaches the habit of honoring to everyone.
The tricky thing is that you can't successfully do it to yourself. Others must do the honoring, or it isn't honoring -- it's boasting and self-promotion.
If leaders spend time trying to honor themselves, they create a climate where it's accepted. Soon others will duplicate the practice of slapping their own backs. When leaders sincerely edify those around them, they themselves are elevated in the minds of their teams as trustworthy and humble.
Become A Learner, Not A Judge
Asking good questions are important skills for leaders to learn. Often, it seems, when leaders are promoted, mental switches are thrown and what were once intelligent question-asking human beings become answer-telling machines; all-knowing, all-seeing and certain-of-everything.
It's as if any hesitation or inquiry indicates incompetence, and that's unthinkable for the people in charge. Every situation in the workplace presents leaders with two options: 1) Jump to conclusions and judgments, or 2) Ask questions to learn more. Credible leaders are learners who ask, listen and then decide.
Source: David Benzel is an author and specialist in leadership and creating peak performance. As the founder of Winning Ways, he has worked with organizations including Allstate Insurance, Sprint/Nextel and The Villages. His experience includes six national water-skiing titles and five records, coach of the U.S. Water-Ski team and founder/coach of an international training center. He is the author of the upcoming, Chump to Champ: How to be Truly Outstanding at Something You Love. Click here to contact Benzel.
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Copyright 2005-2007 Promotional Consultant Today. All Rights Reserved. |
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