Click here for original post by Linda E. Alberty, M.A., President | CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE Consulting

To become credible in the eyes of another person, it takes time, commitment to personal integrity, and excellence through repetition.

Whether you are seeking to be recognized by your supervisor, or want to assert yourself as a leader in your industry, it’s important to realize that credibility is developed over time by routinely doing what is right – day in and out.

How do you get started? Play close attention to the following principles to achieve credibility:

Time – Acquiring credibility is not about how quickly you can gain recognition for your work, but instead a commitment to put your best effort forward, regardless of how much time passes by without anyone noticing.

Credibility is directly tied into personal integrity and the reputation you’ve built for yourself at an organization. It’s the fragrance you leave behind when you exit a room full of your co-workers, management, clients or vendors, based on your commitment or lack thereof to fulfill an expected task, or worse—your own promised word.

Commitment to personal integrity – Does what you promise line up with what you deliver?

If you are consistently remembered for timely deliverables, big or small, than you will likely emerge as a credible source. Ironically, it is the small unfulfilled promises that one volunteers his or herself to do in the office, that often wreaks the biggest havoc on other’s perceptions of your credibility (i.e., Volunteering to email an agenda prior to the next client call and failing to do so – to – promising a co-worker to lend him or her your favorite book, and never bringing it to work).

Excellence through repetition – “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

What you are known for by others and specifically what you are remembered for thus becomes the deal-breaker for whether or not others will perceive you as a credible source.

Do you fulfill the promises you make?

We all can relate to when something in life unexpectedly happens and we are unable to honor our word. However, in spite of that, we must ask ourselves:

• “How well do I provide follow-up communication explaining why a certain promised action was not fulfilled?”
• “Do I quickly provide intended steps for recourse if an important deadline was missed?”
• "I'm I honest with myself, in that if I do not have the bandwidth to perform a task in a given amount of time, I still attempt to complete my assignments to the best of my ability?”

As our roles and responsibilities increase, and our lives become even busier, it becomes even more important for us to extract ourselves away from making excuses.

Credibility is taking responsibility and acting proactively to ensure that projects, assignments, and deadlines are met in an efficient manner. Credibility upgrades your function and operation in an organizational system. It stretches one’s ability to function in their full potential. It is earned when others begin to notice the steps you’ve taken to prepare and polish yourself to perform your best when no one is looking; which in essence opens the door to releasing favor from those around you and thus, cultivating an environment for growth.

Linda E. Alberty combines her understanding of the public and private sectors with expertise in integrated marketing communications, brand-building and career empowerment to provide the ultimate value to those she serves. As president and founder of CULTIVATE EXCELLENCE Consulting, Linda partners with hundreds of individuals and organizations to rewrite their personal and professional stories and help client reach the next level by cultivating the excellence that lies within. As a well-known blogger and sought after motivational speaker, Linda is a 2016 recipient of the Influential Women in Business Award from the Daily Herald Business Ledger. Linda holds an M.A. in Communication from Northern Illinois University. She is also the founder of Operation Jesus, a volunteer organization that provides food, clothing and care for the homeless.

Read more about her background here:
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