Why credibility matters for leaders (and five tips on how to build it)

What does it mean to lead with credibility? 

Two new Chartered Managers – Lisa Harriss CMgr FCMI from the Environment Agency and Sunil Patel CMgr MCMI from Hollowood Chemists – recently shared their thoughts with us.  

Here are their five top tips…

1. Credibility is at the heart of management

Sunil is a pharmacist who was fast-tracked to Chartered Manager status through the Help to Grow: Management programme. He stressed that credibility is the key to success for all leaders.  

“People sometimes see the goal of a business as just finance,” he said. “The goal is actually the people. If you centre yourself around people and maintain credibility with them, the finances will work out.”

Watch now: Leading with Credibility: Insights from New Chartered Managers

He then shared an example he used for his Chartered Manager assessment. During the pandemic, he redesigned his group’s pharmacy training programme to fit with the government’s Kickstart scheme, designed to open up training and development to young people. 

“We were recognised by the government and the profession. Most importantly, it gave people a chance to develop a career in pharmacy,” said Sunil. “These people continue to work for us today.” 

2. Becoming a Chartered Manager can reveal your own strengths

Lisa said the CMI application process helped her truly understand her own management style, and the key role that values play.

“Fairness, trust and integrity came out really strongly in all my examples, even when the context or challenge changed,” she said. “If I hadn't done the exercise, I wouldn't have reflected on that.”

But even with that extra clarity, it’s easy to dismiss your own credibility. Lisa recalled an invaluable discussion with her CMI assessor, who challenged why she’d marked herself down in certain areas.