Article: Chartered Managers on the credibility boost of accreditation Written by CMI Insights Tuesday 24 February 2026 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email We’ve spoken to many inspiring Chartered Managers in recent months – and many of them told us how their credibility has been bolstered by accreditation. Here are some of the things they shared. Credible leadership has become a defining feature of resilient organisations. With work increasingly characterised by volatility, transparency and hybrid working, teams need to trust their leader’s word and competence more than ever. As a manager, if you demonstrate and communicate credibility, you can inspire greater discretionary effort and lay the foundation for teams to overcome challenges, pivot faster and work more creatively. So many managers we’ve spoken to over recent months shared how Chartered status has boosted their credibility. Take Sarah Hubbard CMgr FCMI, operations manager at Oxford Sigma, a company at the cutting-edge of nuclear fusion. For Sarah, the only non-scientist in the entire company, becoming a Chartered Manager marked a powerful shift. “I work with all engineers,” she told us. “It’s just expected that they will become Chartered. I never realised that Chartered status could apply to me in a management role. Getting those letters after my name added gravitas to my career.” Credibility at its core We hosted an online event all about leading with credibility in September. There, the Environment Agency’s Lisa Harriss CMgr FCMI shared a similar experience. Lisa explained how she’d decided to pursue Chartered status when she was leading a multi-disciplinary team, over half of whom were Chartered Surveyors. Chartered Manager status gave her a chance to show her teams she role modelled the same dedication in her role as they did in theirs. How has Chartered Manager status helped you? We’re always on the lookout for inspiring stories from our community of Chartered Managers. You could feature in an article on our website and in our member newsletter. Contact us But the process of becoming Chartered itself also changed her understanding of what leading with credibility meant in the first place. “Initially I associated credibility with expertise, consistency and delivering results,” she said. “While they still remain really important, I now see credibility as being rooted in authenticity, in values alignment, in trust – and especially in how leaders show up during times of real complexity and change. In challenging situations, we need to be there for our people.” Building bridges Credibility within your organisation is just the beginning. Lisa was joined at the online event by Sunil Patel CMgr MCMI from Hollowood Chemists. Sunil had qualified for Chartered status just six months before and shared how others had already expressed interest in working with him and his organisation as a result. Keep reading – why Chartered Manager status opens doors Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Log in Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
