Big Hat, No Cattle

Leadership Credibility: Big Hat, No Cattle

“Big Hat, No Cattle. Often I wondered what might I have become, had I but buckled down and really tried.” - Randy Newman, Composer/Singer

Credibility is critical to sustained success as a leader. We all want to be respected for what we know and not be perceived as a big hat with no cattle. Earning this respect requires humility, a strategic point of view, and decisive language.

I remember serving on a panel to interview candidates for a key leadership position. We interviewed a candidate whose professional appearance, smile, resume, and upbeat personality were very impressive. However, his interview responses were often shallow with no specific examples. He was not selected and one of the interviewers stated in the recap session “he is a mile wide and an inch deep”. We agreed the candidate was all talk and no action.

Have you ever had the feeling that people question your credibility? You may not have had your credibility challenged directly; many times the observation is made in your absence. The key is to understand the perception and look for opportunities to modify your approach.

Three steps to build credibility:

Humility
Assess how you project self-confidence through 360 feedback or personal observations – particularly from peers and mentors. For example, you may painfully learn you are perceived to be an ambitious self-promoter with little substance. The remedy to reset this perception is putting others first and receiving regular feedback.

Strategic Point of View
Leaders are not expected to know all the details. Our credibility is not diminished by “I don’t know” but by fabricating answers that ruin our reputation. Project a strategic point of view by demonstrating high level understanding of issues, awareness of how tactical issues connect to overall strategy, and having a network of resources to tap when needed.

Decisive Language
Choosing our words carefully, stating “I know” v. “I think” encourages others to speak up. An effective technique when facing difficult questions is to reply “I don’t know the answer to your specific question, but what I do know is ...”. People expect honesty, candor, and hope from their leaders – critical elements to build trust.

As we learned in the rejected interview candidate example, a charming personality is no substitute for leadership credibility. A simple test - do others contact you regularly for your expertise, or are you dependent on others for job details you should know?

Check your ego, focus on the bigger picture, and let your words inspire others to do their very best.

Todd