I remember attending a conference the summer before I headed off to college. It was a week-long event in which I was looking forward to hearing many talented and inspiring speakers. But one of them I was particularly excited about. He was a drummer in a popular band and he was talking about chasing your dreams. During his session, I took a lot of notes and left feeling like he really cared about helping young adults find their path in life.
That was until later that night. My friends and I were back in the hotel laughing and talking in the hallway. Pretty soon, a door down the hall opened and the drummer poked his head out and yelled at us. He called us a few choice names and told us to keep it down. We dropped our volume. But when we went back into our rooms that night, I threw the notes I had taken at his presentation into the trash. In my eyes, his credibility and his words had been destroyed.
Words will always be linked to the person who speaks them. They will always be viewed through the lens of that person’s character. Which brings me to an important reminder. As speakers, we need to guard our ethos and work to continually build our credibility.
Guard Your Ethos
Ethos. It’s in our name. It’s also a concept that dates back to Aristotle. In his text, Rhetoric, he even goes so far as to say that “ethos may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion.” But what does ethos mean? The best translation falls along the lines of character and credibility. It’s how the audience’s perception of the speaker’s credibility influences whether or not they are moved. But as the example above illustrates, credibility isn’t just built or damaged when you are presenting. It’s something you have to continually guard.
Here are a few ways to make sure you are guarding your ethos:
- Be aware of how your words and actions might be perceived
- Make amends and course correct when your actions don’t align with your values
- Address false statements about your character
- Apologize when you are wrong
- Welcome constructive criticism and feedback as opportunities to grow
Build Your Credibility
While guarding your ethos is protecting the image you’ve created, there is another component to managing your credibility: building it. This means continually working to become the kind of person you want to be perceived as. Forbes says, “To boost credibility, you need to be honest across the board. That means being transparent.” Transparency can be wrapped up in two other important words: authenticity and vulnerability. If you aim to be authentic and vulnerable all the time, you won’t feel the tension of straddling between two personas: your offstage persona and your onstage one. But becoming a better you takes work.
Here are a few ways to start building your credibility:
- Become more self-aware through personality tests like the Enneagram, Myers Briggs, or Clifton StrengthsFinder
- Read, read, read! Read topics and authors you love. But also read opinions you disagree with; this will help you to understand perspectives outside of your own
- Practice vulnerability in all situations with all people
- Want to be seen as an expert in something? Become one! Get curious and dig into that topic further
- Seek to establish a consistent and compelling brand. This could be through marketing, a social media campaign, or even just by writing a personal mission statement about your own goals and ethos.
A speech is an event bound in time. It has a beginning and an ending. Being a credible speaker doesn’t afford the same luxury. You can undermine your own incredible presentation if you are rude to coworker in the hallway or make it a habit of interrupting during conversations and meetings. So above all, remember that your character goes before and comes after every single message you deliver.
Want help preparing for your next presentation or establishing your personal brand? We can help.
