During the course of any given day I have the pleasure of speaking to lots of great clients, prospects and colleagues.
Among one of my favorite friends to engage in conversation is Kathy Freeman, CEO of Kathy Freeman Company. We seem to get into discussions that make me either think or drink (we both love wine!). I’ve mentioned her here before, but this time she was good enough to contribute her thoughts…in her own words:
Rob, coming off of our discussion today about the upcoming Wholesaler Masterminds call I started musing that with all of the hundreds of interviews that I’ve conducted over the past 17 years, those individuals that seem to be the most memorable and successful have been those who create relationships with their clients, their prospects, coworkers and managers based on real life commonalities.
In today’s environment where you see many talented people that remain unemployed, there is a growing trend where individuals turn towards grasping to become what they think others want them to be as opposed to centering their attention firmly on their own credibility.
So what is credibility?
The dictionary states that it is: The quality, capability, or power to elicit belief.
What I endeavor to achieve in my interviews is to get underneath the veneer of what people are accustomed to saying and to get down to what’s not said but what matters more.
I have found the most amazing characteristics and true content within people who have fought handicaps or serious illnesses, death of family members, or even those with learning disabilities, those coming from disadvantaged homes or even more heartbreaking are those that come from advantaged backgrounds which are completely void of role models.
Sometimes people forget to give themselves credit for where they have been and how they have developed into who they have become.
It’s their intangible credibility.
It’s often a terrific journey and one that when understood and told, can create an entirely new approach for driving career success going forward.