Do you have clout and credibility as a leader?

Do your direct reports, peers and boss see you as a credible leader? Do you have enough clout and credibility that people in your company:

• • Listen to you
  • Are highly motivated to help you accomplish department and company goals
  • Take action on your feedback and advice
  • Select you to lead significant tasks and projects
  • Know you have a reputation for doing the right thing and getting stuff done
  • Gossip about you positively (when they talk about you behind your back, they are talking positively)

When you have clout, credibility and influence, others in the organization look at you as a reliable resource for information, getting things done, and decision making. If you are a leader who could benefit from having even more clout, credibility and influence to get things done, here are 7 tips that our research shows will provide you with the skills to build even stronger relationships where people are highly motivated to follow you in the direction you are going.

1. Clarify goals: Be crystal clear on what your company’s or department’s vision and goals are and the timeframe to accomplish the goals. If you are not 100 percent clear on the vision and goals, communicate immediately with your boss and gain clarity.
2. Be the mailman: Deliver the goods, on time for every assignment. Get stuff done. Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it…long after the feeling to do it has left you. People are watching to see if you can be relied on to do what you say you are going to do.
3. Exceed expectations: Look for ways to contribute to the goals of the organization before someone tells you that something needs to be done. If someone tells you that a project needs to be completed in 30 days, get the project done in 22 days so there is time to make changes, if needed, before the deadline.
4. Ask for help. When you have information you do not understand or you are uncertain about how to solve a problem or complete a project, ask for advice or help from someone in the organization who does have clout, credibility and influence. When these successful individuals offer help and become your sponsor, your chances for success significantly increase.
5. Be honest when it costs you something to be honest. Credible leaders are able to tell the truth, even when the truth may be tough to tell and others do not want to hear it. Telling your boss that one of the employees on the team is not accountable and their behaviors are undermining the team may be a difficult conversation with your boss, but it is the truth and it is the right thing to do.
6. Continuously learn: Credible leaders know that to be successful, learning can never stop. Credible leaders read books, listen to podcasts, attend trainings, go to conferences and, most importantly, come back and put into action or discussion what they have learned. Continuous learning builds competence. If you are not competent, it is hard to be credible.
7. Trust your team: If you are really credible, you trust your team members and find it easy to delegate significant work to them. Credible leaders get bored easily. That means that once they know how to do something, they quickly delegate it which allows others on their team to continuously learn and grow.

How will you know when you have gained clout, credibility and influence? When people with clout, credibility and influence in your organization begin to reach out to you to gain your expertise, follow your leadership or utilize your skills to get significant stuff done, you have gained clout, credibility and most importantly, respect. There is no greater compliment than when the CEO or another C-Level leader says, “You need to get Peter involved in this project. With his guidance, this problem will be quickly solved and the project will be successful.” When the people in power specifically ask for you…you’ve got it!