Bridging the Credibility Gap

Written By Norm Cadsawan
Bridging the credibility gap

Let’s face it, new leaders have a tough go of it. Whether the leader is new to the organization or promoted from within, their chances of failure in the first 18 months are about 50% to 70% based on research from the Corporate Executive Board (Gartner). When things go sideways, we tend to blame the leader for not being a good cultural match, not having the ability to think and operate at scale, poor change management skills, poor execution, etc.. Based on our experience we believe that most of these issues stem from a single point of failure –  not being able to bridge the credibility gap. Let’s explore this in more detail.

The Credibility Gap Explained

So, what is the Credibility Gap? A credibility gap exists when a new leader shows up but hasn’t yet gained the full trust and confidence of their team. At this point, they haven’t had the chance to build their leadership image and presence within the organization. Because the credibility gap exists at this early stage, communication, collaboration, innovation, and the ability to execute can suffer.

And the implications are significant. Without trust and communication, it’s hard for the leader to understand and adapt to the new culture. Without confidence in the leader’s abilities, it’s hard for the leader to delegate tasks, operate at scale, make difficult changes, and execute strategies successfully.

Much is at stake for the leader if they cannot bridge the credibility gap.

A Strategy to Bridge the Credibility Gap

Some companies forgo formal onboarding with the thought that the new leader they hired (or promoted) is smart and has the right skills/experience, so they’ll be able to “figure it out” themselves. It’s the classic “sink or swim” strategy. In this case, it’s a flip of a coin (at best) whether the new leader will be successful or not.

However, other organizations view new leader onboarding as a critical element for successful integration. These firms utilize both leadership development/coaching and team coaching during the onboarding process to improve the likelihood of success by ensuring that both the leader and the team have the skills, understanding, and tools to build trust and confidence in each other.  

Leadership Development /Coaching

One-on-one leadership coaching enhances a leader's self-awareness, helping them understand how others perceive them and recognize their impact. It helps leaders develop confidence during interactions and improves their communication style, including delivering difficult messages. By focusing on personal growth and addressing internal challenges like lack of confidence or fear of failure, coaching helps leaders overcome roadblocks to success and maximize their unique value, contributing to a stronger personal leadership brand and improved performance.

A cornerstone of bridging the credibility gap through coaching is building trust. Coaching helps leaders foster trust by practicing transparency, adopting an open-door policy, showing genuine concern for their team members, providing constructive feedback, and demonstrating interest in their professional growth. Creating a supportive environment where employees feel psychologically safe to share and be vulnerable is crucial for trust and open communication. Active listening is also essential for building trust and understanding perspectives. Adherence to ethical standards and prioritizing honesty and openness in the coaching process are vital for building trust and credibility.

When leaders successfully bridge the credibility gap through development and coaching, there is a significant positive impact on the organization. Improved credibility leads to better relationships with stakeholders and enhanced influence beyond one's immediate group or function. This, in turn, leads to improved team performance, collaboration, and employee engagement. Leaders who develop these crucial skills become role models, inspiring others and contributing to a culture of continuous learning and development that can drive organizational success into the future.

Team Coaching

Team coaching offers a powerful approach to help new leaders bridge this credibility gap by focusing on the collective dynamics and performance of the group they lead. Unlike one-on-one coaching, team coaching involves working directly with the leader and the entire team to improve communication, collaboration, and overall effectiveness. By focusing on collective performance and elevating key domains of team function, the group begins to see measurable results as well as an increase in cohesion. This process inherently addresses the core of the credibility gap by actively building trust within the team and fostering open communication – vital for a new leader to be seen as believable and reliable.

Ultimately, engaging in team coaching signals a new leader's commitment to their team's success and development. By actively participating in sessions focused on clarifying objectives, building trust, improving communication, and resolving conflicts, the new leader demonstrates transparency, consistency, and a focus on the collective "we" rather than just "I". This alignment with organizational values and a focus on the team directly contributes to building trust and increasing their level of influence. Successfully bridging the credibility gap through this process leads to improved team performance, enhanced collaboration, and higher levels of productivity. It also strengthens relationships with stakeholders beyond the immediate team, solidifying the new leader's position and contributing to the organization's overall success.

Conclusion

Based on our experience, a new leader’s ability to quickly build trust and confidence with their team is critical to their success. But can we say that failure to bridge the credibility gap is the root cause of every executive's ultimate demise? Probably not, but there’s a strong argument that says that a leader who is successful at bridging the credibility gap is in the best position to make a positive impact because they won’t be doing it alone.

They’ll have their entire team backing them up.

What we’re reading:

Norm Cadsawan
Next

Great Leadership is Needed in Uncertain Times