Gaining Credibility
March 19th, 2009 in Uncategorized. 22 Comments
A young friend of mine in his early twenties asked me the other day how I had gained credibility and a platform over the last 10-15 years. The first thing that is important to know about my answers and my perspective: this is a work still in progress. I have not arrived.
But after giving him some thoughts on this, I thought it might be helpful to the community here on the blog. So here you go- my thoughts on gaining credibility:
1. Be Self Aware- first, you have to have an accurate understanding of who you are and where you are in life. A very clear and realistic picture of your self identity and current reality. If you are 24, you have to understand that life experiences and job experience probably aren’t something you can hang your hat on.
2. Listen, Listen, Listen. Ask great questions of those around you, and then LISTEN to the answer. Don’t talk until you have something to say. But learn to ask great questions and learn from them. This is especially true in a team environment.
3. Experience creates expertise- this is obvious, but sometimes we forget. Credibility comes with action- doing, not just thinking or talking. Jump in and get involved.
4. A platform takes time- it’s just a reality. Most of us aren’t patient enough to spend adequate TIME at DOING something until we gain a platform or credibility. We usually lose interest, get bored, or just simply move on to something else. The key- stick with it.
5. Connect with leading organizations, networks and individuals- connect with companies, teams or individuals who are highly respected, and you’ll gain respect. But the key on this- connect with them and ask how you can HELP them, not how you can gain from them.
22 Comments
human3rror
March 19, 2009 at 2:21 pm
this is awesome.
human3rror
March 19, 2009 at 2:21 pm
.. where’s my comment…?
sad.
bradlomenick
March 19, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thanks John!
human3rror
March 19, 2009 at 2:51 pm
mike foster
March 19, 2009 at 2:59 pm
great post brad…really important and true insights…peace…m.
Jenni Catron
March 19, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Love this Brad! So very true!
Jenni Catron
March 19, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Love this Brad! So very true!
Linnae Hoppe
March 19, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Thanks for the perspective. Look forward to following your blog!
Craig Johnson
March 19, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Great stuff Brad. Your #3 makes me think of Gladwell’s concept of 10,000 hours from his new Outliers book. The minute I think I might be getting good at something, I ask myself how far I am into the 10,000 hours. I’m not 10,000 hours into anything except breathing.
Rob
March 19, 2009 at 7:03 pm
The sad thing is that many people are discredited simply because they don’t yet have a “platform”. Age, lack of experience, or not being networked to people or organizations who have platforms to influence and change things should never be an automatic reason to discredit or discount anyone. Sometimes we miss out on the greatest ideas and opportunities this way.
By saying this, I am not suggesting that you are encouraging this mentality by your post, just presenting the flip side of the coin. =)
bradlomenick
March 19, 2009 at 7:49 pm
good thoughts Rob. I agree. The list is not meant to be exhaustive on how to gain credibility. I was just providing some ideas and ultimately relaying my own experience. There are many other ways to gain credibility, and never should we discount anyone based on the reasons you list.
Craig Johnson
March 19, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Rob, I agree with you 100%, but the truth is that people with a platform are often given the most credibility.
Right or wrong, that’s the way it often is.
So rather than try to change the way people are, we need to figure out how to leverage our own great ideas and often times that may require following certain rules like Brad has outlined here.
Jason Young
March 20, 2009 at 3:22 am
i like this posting. i am working on a writing piece that talks about how to incubate influence. i would love to sit down with you to chat more about this. interested?
dentmaker
March 20, 2009 at 6:11 am
Very true. I especially like the part about leading with service. Asking how you can “Help” them… not always leading with a request.
Daniel Decker
March 20, 2009 at 3:30 pm
#4 is a key… creating a platform of credibility is built on reputation. That takes time. I think that’s where many mess up. Credibility is created out of integrity. Many, in eager pursuit of NOW, end up cutting corners that jeopardize that long term credibility and respect. Credibility comes by way of lots of tiny actions, events, choices, etc that leave a trail.
Jason Jeong
March 21, 2009 at 9:57 pm
wow, talk about 5 points that kick you in the butt…good stuff Brad…
tanya springer bishai
March 25, 2009 at 1:23 pm
after all these years you kept all these handy secrets from me. i am proud of you and your endeavors mr. lomenick..thanks for sharing such great insight.
travisconnick
March 25, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Just found this blog, and love this article. Thanks for posting this
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