Volume 4 Number 8
August 2008

Expert Author: Bobbi Kahler

If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message.
– James Kouzes and Barry Posner

I was at the International Conference on Emotional Intelligence and the keynote speaker was James Kouzes, an authority on leadership. He said that the first law of leadership is that, "If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message." What a powerful statement. It got me thinking.

How many times have we heard a politician or other leader speak and their message is very potent and exciting, but instead of motivating us it leaves us with a "yeah right" response? No matter how much we may want to believe in the message, we simply don't believe in the messenger, and therefore, the message ultimately dies.

Likewise, I've been at many a networking event and I've heard hundreds, if not thousands, of clever and well-crafted elevator pitches. But, too often, I am left with an underlying feeling that while the elevator looks good, does it really go anywhere?

Instead of spending so much time crafting a clever message, maybe we need to spend a little more time working on ourselves and doing those things which instill trust in others.

What makes you trust someone? What makes you not trust someone? Make a separate list for each of those things and then critically compare your behavior – not your intentions – against each of them. How do you stack up?

As Kouzes went on to say (and which many other authorities have said), the essence of trust, from a behavioral standpoint, comes down to a very simple – yet seemingly difficult – thing to execute: Do what you say you will do.

About the Author

Bobbi is a frequent speaker on leadership at conferences around the country. She has a background in management and training and development; all centered on helping people develop themselves. She has written The Leader’s Journal: Being the Person That Others Want to Follow, which is a learning tool to help people become internally-driven leaders. You can learn more about Bobbi at www.Bobbikahler.com.

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