How to Build Credibility in a New Executive Position

Hiring a credible leader is the first step in achieving better performance and consistent results. Executives known for their veracity are viewed by their colleagues as a reliable resource for information and decision making. These individuals earn the respect and trust of their peers and staff by being a good role model and displaying strong, positive attributes. The most effective executives have a proven track record for driving business results with no hidden agenda because they are known to be true to their word.

It Starts with Competence and Focus

Effective leaders must be experts in their field, with the ability to analyze situations and develop timely solutions. This is critical in order to develop credibility with their staff, customers, competitors and other stakeholders. This means:

• Using actions to back up words.
• Being accountable for their decisions and owning up to and taking the necessary steps to correct their mistakes.
• Maintaining focus on goals to be achieved and guiding their teams toward this end.

Build credibility in your new executive position by hiring a leader who excels at:

Rapport Building

Your new team leader must be a great listener, not just a good one. This includes taking good notes and quickly following up on action items. They must be responsible enough to proactively address business-critical needs in a timely manner.

• The most valuable executives get along with people of all persuasions and are adept at handling difficult situations. They should be able to empower employees, convert envy into opportunity and provide fair, consistent recognition to those who are deserving.
• Loyalty is a requirement. Credible leaders always keep in mind the best interests of their subordinates and peers. In turn, their staff will be loyal and remain committed to mutual success. They should show trust in the ability of their fellow employees and respect for their individual needs and opinions.

Diplomacy

The best executives are always mindful of doing the right thing. At times, this may mean making tradeoffs in order to achieve new opportunities and have more influence down the road.

• Your leaders must exercise good judgment. They should instinctively know how to pick their battles, support their team and be strong consensus builders. This means realizing that perception is reality. They should be willing to play the game accordingly in order to mobilize their agenda.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is based on solving problems with clarity and consensus. Your new executive should be a conflict resolution master who empowers others to fast track the process by making suggestions and recommendations. This requires:

• Eloquence at addressing problems and getting others to find solutions. A key step is methodically breaking down conflict into manageable pieces.
• The vision to view conflicts as opportunities. Conflicts can be powerful learning moments and may open doors to building new relationships. Visionary leaders can see this and convey this power to others.

Communication

Being a strong communicator is the most important way for an executive to earn trust and, thus, credibility. They should take the time to get to know everyone who is directly or indirectly involved with its future direction.

• Departmental and functional silos must be broken down to create mutual engagement and productive interdependency.
• An effective groupthink environment must be built in order to continually foster teamwork and consensus.

The executive search consultants at BrainWorks can provide you with exceptional hiring results to achieve and exceed your strategic goals. Contact us today and allow our extensive industry knowledge, professional contacts and proven track record to work for you.