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Doing What We Say We Will Do

March 15, 1999

"Credibility is about doing what you say you are going to do (DWYSYWD).  Do you talk the talk or walk the talk?  Being a credible leader goes beyond DWYSYWD.  Your constituents also have values, visions and needs.  To earn and strengthen leadership credibility, leaders must do what we say we will do -- DWWSWWD.

When a person forgets the 'we' and only does what he/she wants to do, they lose credibility.  This has caused many leaders to fail because they use their power to dictate rather than lead.  The credible leader learns how to discover and communicate the shared values and visions that can form a common ground on which all can stand.  Credible leaders find unity among the diverse interests, points of view, and beliefs.  Upon a strong, unified foundation, leaders and constituents can act consistently with spirit and drive to build viable organizations and communities (Kouzes and Posner, 1993, pp.47-48)."

Reference:  Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (1993).  Credibility:  How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Are you doing what we say we will do?

* Credibilty:  How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It  is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-06, Updated: 2009-01-18