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neither do they want to invest trust in people they doubt can achieve what they claim. To be led, either by words or actions, followers need to have faith in your competence to perform. They want to know you can win the game. They want to know you can finish the project successfully. They want to know you can turn the company around. |
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So how do leaders inspire confidence in their abilities while seeming modest and likable as people? They as leaders have to acknowledge accomplishments but avoid arrogance. Difficult, but not impossible. How? The attitude behind the talk turns the tables. |
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Few people set out to be incorrect; it's just that when they have missing information, they make assumptions or reason wrongly. Instead of informing, they misinform unintentionally. Whether or not people routinely ask for the source of your information or conclusions, be ready to provide it. If they ask for sources, rather than be offended, welcome such testing questions as credibility checkers. |
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Why would people want sources for relatively insignificant information? Because we test validity on all important matters by considering the source. How do we test the source of important information? By checking the credibility of all information coming from that same source. Credibility is circular. Credibility in the insignificant breeds credibility for the significant. Once you're caught in an error, credibility creeps back ever so slowly. |
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Tip 7: Admit what you don't know. |
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When people smell blood, they dig. Here's a conversation that illustrates the fervor generated by the smell of bluff: |
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"How much does your company contribute each year to charity?" |
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"Hundreds of thousands of dollars." |
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"Most of it to United Way or to individual causes?" |
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"What amount goes to United Way?" |
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"I think our goal was $240,000." |
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"Many companies don't meet their goals, you know. They just tout the goal as PR and never come through with the money." |
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"Were you on the United Way committee?" |
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