CREDIBILITY: A QUALITY OR AN ACT?
Is credibility something you possess, or something you demonstrate?
We often speak of credibility as though it were an inherent quality, much like intelligence, sensitivity, imagination or the ability to think deeply. We describe someone as credible just as we describe someone as intelligent or courageous.
But is credibility really a quality in itself? Or does it become meaningful only when translated into action?
Consider a sportsman. Several players in a team may possess equal talent and technical ability. Yet, when the occasion demands, one player rises above the others. He delivers when it matters most, takes responsibility when the outcome is uncertain and demonstrates his ability when it is put to the test.
Or consider someone who responds instinctively to a sudden danger to another person, without pausing to calculate the risk to himself. We call it courage or selflessness. But it also reveals something deeper about the person's character. No amount of self-proclamation could establish that quite as convincingly.
Is credibility, therefore, a noun that exists within a definition, or an adjective that acquires meaning through the act of doing?
Perhaps it begins as a quality but becomes real through conduct.
Competence is not the same as credibility
Competence is the ability to do something. Credibility is the confidence others develop in your ability and willingness to do it responsibly.
An intelligent professional may possess extraordinary knowledge, qualifications and experience. But does that automatically make the person credible? Not necessarily.
Someone may know the answer but lack the courage to give it. Another may have the expertise but hesitate to accept responsibility. Yet another may make impressive promises but disappear when those promises need to be honored.
Conversely, a professional who acknowledges the limits of his knowledge, admits an error and stands by a commitment may command far greater credibility than someone who projects an image of infallibility.
Sometimes, the willingness to say "I do not know" is a greater demonstration of credibility than pretending to know everything.
Credibility is tested in moments of truth
It is relatively easy to be responsible when there is no risk, agreeable when there is no disagreement and dependable when nothing significant is at stake.
The real test comes when circumstances change.
Do we honour commitments when doing so becomes inconvenient? Do we speak up when silence would be safer? Do we accept responsibility when passing it on would be easier?
Credibility is not established by what we claim about ourselves. It is established by what others experience of us, particularly when circumstances give us an opportunity to behave differently.
Why credibility is a professional USP
In the professional world, expertise is often measured through qualifications, designations, experience and past achievements. But in a world where information is increasingly accessible and artificial intelligence is challenging traditional notions of expertise, something else becomes invaluable.
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