Let's begin with a bold statement:  Right now, in the wake of Enron, Worldcom, Tyco and so many others, a leader's credibility is as important as profit, as the quality of products or services or as alliances or partnerships.
     Credibility is an extraordinary asset.  That's why we recommend that forward-thinking leaders take steps to elevate credibility to a strategic goal and measure whether or not it's achieved.
     As a leader, it's tempting and quite common to assume that there's integrity in your organization.  But assumptions clearly aren't cutting it now with employees, shareholders, customers and the public.  They want to know that an organization and its leaders can be trusted.  You have to be able to prove your mettle.
      There's no shortage of proposed remedies to the current lack of trust, ranging from federal legislation to voluntary changes in auditing, accounting and board structure.  But putting credibility at the top of every senior executive team's agenda is a fresh thought and is the change most likely to produce sustainable results.
      When credibility is treated with the same intelligent attention as is a company's plans to expand or make a profit, credibility advances, gaps between stated standards and actual behavior are revealed and a culture of credibility is encouraged. In this  

business model, strategies, tactics, research, measures and training all link to credibility.
     Elevating credibility to a strategic goal allows leaders time to refine their approaches as they go along.  By putting themselves and their organizations under a more powerful microscope, they increase the odds that credibility becomes a competitive advantage.
     We are working with leaders as they make new , better and different decisions, filtering those decisions more rigorously through a lens that's pro-credibility.  Such a focus assists mightily in helping organizations move from short-term, narrow definitions of success toward long-term, sustainable measures.
      Particularly since Sept. 11, people hunger for heroes - proactive leaders they can trust.  Ironically, during this time of uncertainty, leaders with humility to admit that they don't know everything earn trust, especially when that candor is combined with skillfully challenging questions and confidently moving forward.
     This capability is crucial in today's marketplace.  More and more, leaders must be ready to operate in what we call the deep gray area fraught with ambiguity and risk.  Successful leaders chart their way through this fog always pushing themselves to uncover the implications and potential results of their decisions.
     Leaders in these circumstances build credibility by clarifying the risks and benefits of their chosen course.
     When leaders have the courage to ask themselves and others challenging questions that raise real issues, speak to higher values, surface unresolved conflicts and uncover new ways to do

things, they help their organizations function in a context of uncertainty.            
     Of course, as much as people yearn to trust, widespread wariness about leaders won't diminish anytime soon.  When people assess a leader, they are likely to look at the whole person and that person's total impact.  So, it's important for leaders to hold themselves to high standards of personal and professional conduct.  Leaders may have different privileges than their employees, but they shouldn't have different standards.
     In an environment of growing skepticism, tarnished credibility is punished quickly in the marketplace, even before any criminal intent is proven.  Look at what's happened to Martha Stewart.  Her company's stock dropped like a stone after her sale of some personal stock drew investigators' attention.
     Building credibility takes enormous commitment and discipline.  It's forged every time you make a difficult decision; it's strengthened every time you learn from a mistake or a misstep.  Leaders truly earn their reputations every day.

McArdle is president and Ramerman is chief executive officer of McArdle Ramerman Inc., a leadership development and coaching firm.