Credibility Diplomacy: Shaping the New African Agenda

Credibility is a tangible intangible, an asset of social, political and business economy opening and shutting doors with equal swift. It is a subtle defined currency that bygone champions like Nelson Mandela were simply endowed.

A probable litmus test of this was sitting on the same table, discussing building a (rainbow) nation with those who previously discriminated and oppressed black people in South Africa. Although regarded as a compromise by some, alternate views would suggest that it was the beginning of a new form of leadership in Africa, founded on credibility.

Credibility has two key components: trustworthiness and expertise, which both have objective and subjective components. Trustworthiness is based more on subjective factors, but can include objective measurements such as established reliability. Expertise can be similarly subjectively perceived, but also includes relatively objective characteristics such as credentials, certification or information quality. Secondary components of credibility include dynamism and charisma.

Diplomacy, hand in glove with credibility, is the promotion of relationships centred on the strengths of entities wanting to engage in mutually profitable activities. This is a game of tact where perceptions matter and likewise credibility. Note, for anything to be credible, it must be seen in action, and judged based on what it demonstrates.

Enter the CEO and Credibility.

CEO credibility is made up of two factors: knowing what one is talking about, and being able to be trusted to do it. The credibility of a person and the power they wield over others are key currency in these fast-paced days of the internet of things, and the fourth industrial revolution. Power is sweet, credibility tasteful and their mastery exponential. Because of this, many people seek to acquire more followers, more partners, and more friends, in a bid to increase influence and profit, more so for the CEO. This does not come without challenges as management dynamics take centre stage which, if improperly managed can lead to investor flight.

There is need for Credibility Diplomacy for the CEO and for the Politician for the sake of the local business and the local economy, to forge and sustain relations that increase influence, activity and profitability.

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