Building Professional Credibility

There is a strong belief that women are more generous, and care more about equality, than men. Also, many people believe that women tend to be underconfident. None of these beliefs are true, two recent papers find. One paper —nicely titled "Men are from Mars, and Women Too"— focuses on self-confidence. The paper starts by surveying hundreds of experts, finding that 77% of them think that women are underconfident whereas men are overconfident. Next they do a comprehensive survey of all experimental tests of self-confidence that have been published in the past twenty years. The key result: 72% of all studies find that *both* women and men are overconfident. Only 18% of published studies support the commonly held view. The other paper considers social preferences. "Using data from 15 studies and 8,979 individuals" the paper finds "that women are believed to be more generous and more equality-oriented than men. [...] Yet this believed gender gap is largely inaccurate." The authors "find little to no evidence for gender differences in behavior or attitudes relating to social preferences". Hence, women and men are much more similar than commonly thought. Sure, people differ in their social preferences and self-confidence, and actually differences can be quite substantially. But gender is not predictive of such differences. Why is this important to know? Why is it important to correct these misperceptions about women and men? One reason is that misperceptions may affect selection and sorting in the labor market, in politics, and in society at large, resulting in a misallocation of talents and traits. For instance, if people think that to be a good leader one needs to have sufficient self-confidence, they may be biased against women, as they mistakenly believe that women tend to be underconfident. Likewise, people may be biased against men when selecting for positions that require generosity and care, mistakenly thinking that these qualities are mainly or only present among women. Read the full papers here (all open access!): Oriana Bandiera, Nidhi Parekh, Barbara Petrongolo, and Michelle Rao (2022), Men are from Mars, and Women Too: A Bayesian Meta-analysis of Overconfidence Experiments, Economica: https://lnkd.in/e6_dMRyG Christine Exley, Oliver Hauser, Molly Moore, and John-Henry Pezzuto (2024), Believed Gender Differences in Social Preferences, Quarterly Journal of Economics, forthcoming: https://lnkd.in/ecZCS2er And see also: Esther-Mirjam Sent and Irene van Staveren (2019), A Feminist Review of Behavioral Economic Research on Gender Differences, Feminist Economics: https://lnkd.in/ejJ8S6iX

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲? Of all the topics people ask me about, executive presence is near the top of the list. The challenge with executive presence is that it’s hard to define. It’s not a checklist you can tick off. It’s more like taste or intuition. Some people develop it early. Others build it over time. More often, it’s a lack of context, coaching, or exposure to what “good” looks like. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years, both from getting it wrong and from watching others get it right. 1. 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 People early in their careers often feel the need to prove they know the details. But executive presence isn’t about detail. It’s about clarity. If your message would sound the same to a peer, your manager, and your CEO, you’re not tailoring it enough. Meet your audience where they are. 2. 𝐔𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Executives care about outcomes, strategy, and alignment. One of my teammates once struggled with this. Brilliant at the work, but too deep in the weeds to communicate its impact. With coaching, she learned to reframe her updates, and her influence grew exponentially. 3. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 Every meeting has an undercurrent: past dynamics, relationships, history. Navigating this well often requires a trusted guide who can explain what’s going on behind the scenes. 4. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 Just because something is your entire world doesn’t mean others know about it. I’ve had conversations where I assumed someone knew what I was talking about, but they didn't. Context is a gift. Give it freely. 5. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Early in my career, I brought problems to my manager. Now, I appreciate the people who bring potential paths forward. It’s not about having the perfect solution. It’s about showing you’re engaged in solving the problem. 6. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 Every leader is solving a different set of problems. Step into their shoes. Show how your work connects to what’s top of mind for them. This is how you build alignment and earn trust. 7. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Years ago, a founder cold emailed me. We didn’t know each other, but we were both Duke alums. That one point of connection turned a cold outreach into a real conversation. 8. 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Before you walk into a meeting, ask yourself what outcome you’re trying to drive. Wandering conversations erode credibility. Precision matters. So does preparation. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 Executive presence isn’t about dominating a room or having all the answers. It’s about clarity, connection, and conviction. And like any muscle, it gets stronger with intentional practice.

Bad news: you’re giving bad news wrong Here’s the research backed way to do it without breaking trust. Stanford’s Robert Sutton has studied this for 40+ years. When delivering bad news, four ingredients matter: Predictability. Understanding. Control. Compassion. During the London Blitz, people in regularly bombed areas were less anxious. Not because danger vanished… because they could predict it. Uncertainty not bad news spikes anxiety. Brian Chesky (Airbnb) laid off ~25% during COVID and still preserved trust by: Explaining the why Letting people keep laptops Letting them keep vested stock Giving them time to say goodbye What not to do: Bird laid off 406 people via a 2-minute Zoom. Some even thought it was pre-recorded. Brutal. Demoralizing. Performative. Sutton’s take: Too many leaders confuse toughness with sadism Cutting deeper “to seem bold,” copying competitors, or just because they can. That’s not leadership. That’s ego maintenance. Even small control signals matter: A CEO promised: “No layoffs for the next 4 months.” Not forever. Not everything. But it gave breathing room. Predictability > vague reassurance. This isn’t just about layoffs. Any move that threatens status, identity, or purpose qualifies: New org charts. Killed products. RTO mandates. When people feel blindsided, they disengage or leave. What people want in hard moments: To understand what/why/when To avoid being ambushed To feel seen and treated fairly To plan their next move Deliver that always. When the news is bad, your job isn’t robotic spin. Leaders we remember aren’t the ones who never made cuts They’re the ones who made them with dignity.

As a leader, the WAY you deliver bad news often matters more than the news itself. Your team could walk away feeling deflated or inspired. But many leaders barrel forward with the conversation before they’re clear on what kind of message they need to convey. If you accidentally convey the wrong kind of message (even if it’s clear and transparent), you can drain your team’s trust and morale. That’s why you need to be clear on what kind of message you’re delivering before you communicate anything. This starts by asking yourself two questions: 1. Can we fix this? 2. Where does this problem come from? Those two answers determine which of four “bad news” messages you are delivering, and each one requires you to show up differently. 1. The “Fix It” Message When your organization created the problem, and it’s solvable, own it completely. My firm once hired the wrong agency to rebuild our website.  It cost us $300,000, inbound traffic collapsed, and our business stagnated. As an executive team, we owned it, communicated often, and reported progress openly. It took almost two years, but we fixed it. 2. The “Bounce Back” Message When external forces create the problem, but you can adapt, stay calm and specific. Your team needs to know how you’ll adapt and what success looks like. When COVID froze travel, Airbnb's CEO cut 25% of the workforce but explained why clearly and rallied the remaining team. That clarity helped them recover and IPO months later. 3. The “Shut It Down” Message When something isn’t working, and it’s time to end it, create closure. Honor the work, extract the learning, and spell out where resources will go next. Instagram’s cofounders shut down their AI news app a year after launch because the market opportunity wasn’t big enough to justify ongoing investment. They praised the team’s work while framing the closure as a strategic necessity. 4. The “Move On” Message When the world changes in ways that make your path untenable, help people release the past. Steve Jobs held a funeral for the old Mac operating system.  Organ music played, and a coffin sat on stage. The message was unmistakable…stop building for the old world and move your energy to Mac OS X. Each message needs empathy, appreciation, honest disclosure, and persuasion about what comes next. If you can name which moment you are in, you can communicate what your audience needs to hear. #Leadership #ExecutiveCommunication #ChangeManagement #CrisisCommunication

One of the smartest things I ever did on a job was shut up and listen to a D6 operator. He told me the drainage plan wouldn’t work the way it was designed. Too steep, too tight, and the material would slough when he tried to cut the key. I didn’t argue, I just asked him to walk me through it. He was right. We tweaked the alignment, flattened the grade, and made it easier to build. It saved us three days and a lot of finger-pointing. Here’s the thing: The operator knew the ground. He knew the machine. He knew how the proposed design would hold up to conditions. He saw things I didn’t, because he lives it every day. As engineers, we don’t lose credibility by listening, we gain it. The construction team isn’t there to execute blindly. They’re there to collaborate. And if we pretend they don’t have a role in design, we’re setting ourselves up for cost overruns and safety risks. Every time I’ve been wrong in this business, it involved ignoring someone who actually knew better. #ConstructionEngineering #FieldExperience #CivilEngineering #BuildableDesign #Constructability

Conservationists like to think facts speak for themselves. They don’t. In a world where allegiance often trumps evidence, who delivers the message often matters more than what’s being said. The same data, spoken by a nurse instead of a scientist, can land differently. In Amazonia, credibility travels along social lines. Farmers listen to agronomists, not activists. Urban families may heed pediatricians warning about heat-related illness before they trust an NGO ad. Pastors, teachers, and co-op leaders often reach places journalists and policymakers cannot. Matching voice to audience isn’t a branding exercise; it’s simply being honest about how people decide what to believe. That realism also means differentiating the message without diluting it. Indigenous leaders remain central, both as stewards and as narrators of success on their lands. Yet many who influence the forest’s future—like mayors, truckers, ranchers, and small business owners—don’t identify with Indigenous causes. Messages typically work best when they’re tailored to their audience: stewardship told as rainfall insurance for farmers, public-health policy for city dwellers, and fiscal stability for mayors who need predictable budgets. The goal isn’t to make everyone an environmentalist; it’s to make the forest relevant to each person’s daily choices. None of this can be faked. Trust is borrowed first and earned slowly. It grows when people see that acting on information pays, as in lower bills, steadier harvests, clearer skies, or fewer fires. For communicators, the task is to equip credible messengers with verified, usable material: sermon guides, WhatsApp videos, radio spots, farm bulletins, and committee briefs. Over time, authority shifts from the messenger to the message itself. What saves the forest, in the end, may not be a single voice but a variety—each carrying the same plain facts: e.g. protecting forest keeps rain falling; law in the Amazon means law at home; standing forest cools the air; healthy ecosystems make for healthy economies. Repetition stops being spin and starts being education. Once that logic comes from trusted voices, it no longer sounds like activism. It just sounds obvious. [I contributed a section on how to communicate about the Amazon for 'The Endangered Amazonia' report, published by COICA ORG this week. This is the second of three parts summarizing my contribution. This one is titled, "Why the messenger matters in efforts to save the Amazon] 👉 The report: https://lnkd.in/gpZs8JBW

Neurodiversity 101: Is there a risk in being too authentic at work? 🤔 “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” — Carl Jung I hear many workplaces encouraging, “bring your authentic self to work.” But what does that really mean—and I am concerned that it is it always safe to do so. Authenticity is about aligning actions with our values and personality. In inclusive workplaces, this can strengthen trust, engagement, and innovation. But authenticity isn’t always simple. We all adapt to some extent. We dress to some degree to fit in with others , try to work out and then observe the unwritten rules in new jobs, and work out how to act in different settings. That doesn’t make us inauthentic—it reflects social awareness and trying to find some commonality. Are their risks of being too authentic? While openness builds trust, it also comes with challenges: Over-sharing personal details can blur boundaries and you can't take back what has been revealed... Vulnerability can invite judgement or bias Cultural mismatch might affect perceptions or progression opportunities - I don't want to say that... but it is a reality! Brené Brown describes authenticity as a choice—to show up and be seen. "“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are. Choosing authenticity means cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable"... but is this a privilege?Some people are still discovering who they are. Others may not feel safe to be fully open. What about masking? 🎭 Masking is more common for neurodivergent people, can be a way to fit in, avoid bias, or manage uncertainty. It’s often a protective strategy—but it can be tiring and impact well-being. How can we finding the balance ⚖️ *Know the culture: Is difference respected? *Set boundaries: Choose what you’re comfortable sharing 🔐 *Build trust slowly: Test how others respond 🤝 *Find safe spaces: Seek out understanding allies 🌱 *Use discretion: You don’t need to share everything to be real ✨ I think>.... Encouraging authenticity is important—but only works if psychological safety exists. “Bring your whole self” shouldn’t be a blanket expectation or a blanket statement. True inclusion is about choice—supporting people to be who they are, but only when they’re ready and only if it is actually safe to do so....

Another rough one — also in this month's American Economic Review. This long awaited paper — by Pascaline Dupas, Amy Handlan, Alicia Modestino, Muriel Niederle, Mateo Sere, Haoyu Sheng, Justin Wolfers, and the Seminar Dynamics Collective — explores how men and women are treated in economics seminars. Economics seminars are important for our field. They are one of the main ways we circulate our research and develop reputations among colleagues (some are also "job talks," in which audience members are deciding whether they want to hire us as colleagues). The researchers coded up thousands of seminars, both in-person and virtual, and explored gender differences in how male and female speakers were treated (controlling for various features of the seminar, including talk topic and attendance). Women were interrupted 10 to 20 percent more often then men. While interruptions could be positive (e.g., helpful suggestions) or negative (e.g., critical comments), the evidence points to women getting treated worse than men.   First, women receive nearly 50% more interruptions that are distinctively "negative in tenor (e.g., patronizing or hostile)." Second, women are much more likely to receive mid-sentence interruptions: where audience members talk over the seminar speaker (a potential sign of disrespect). These additional mid-sentence interruptions received by women come exclusively from men (see Figure 4 from the paper). There is a potential silver lining. Female seminar speakers draw more attendees on average, including more women. As the authors note, this could generate a positive "role model effect." (Unfortunately, it also exposes the next generation of researchers to our relatively poor treatment of female speakers.) These disappointing results are probably not shocking to those of us who regularly attend economics seminars. Many of us had the feeling that female economists were being treated worse. But documenting it is still incredibly important. We need to collect data on social dynamics so we can address them head on. And while academia may be a bit of an unusual industry, I suspect many of these same patterns are playing out in board rooms and online meetings across the entire labor market. #Gender #Economics #Seminars cc: Lise Vesterlund, Corinne Low, Christine Exley, Xiaoyue Shan, Eve Rodsky, American Economic Association ps: Kudos to the AER editors (Chinhui Juhn, Stefano DellaVigna, and Erzo Luttmer) for publishing two important papers on gender in the same issue.

Peer pressure doesn’t end when you graduate. It just changes form. 👉 “Everyone’s staying late, so I must too.” 👉 “Everyone’s cutting corners, so why should I bother doing it properly?” 👉 “Everyone’s silent about this issue, so maybe I shouldn’t speak up.” The truth? Integrity is your strongest career currency. Doing what’s right may feel lonely at times, but it builds trust, credibility, and long-term growth that shortcuts never will. Here are some work tips to keep in mind: ✅ Do stand by your values. If something feels wrong, question it. Speak up respectfully. ❌ Don’t follow blindly. Just because it’s the “norm” doesn’t mean it’s the right way. ✅ Do focus on quality. Your reputation is built on how well you deliver, not how fast you follow the crowd. ❌ Don’t compromise ethics for speed. A quick win today could be a career risk tomorrow. ✅ Do choose courage over comfort. Leaders notice people who take accountability, not those who blend into the background. ❌ Don’t stay silent in the face of toxic behavior. Silence protects the wrong people. ✅ Do play the long game. Integrity compounds. People remember who was honest, fair, and reliable when pressure was high. ❌ Don’t trade trust for temporary approval. It’s not worth it. 💡 Remember: success isn’t just about what you achieve, but also how you achieve it.

Here’s the truth:   A dream without a plan is just a wish.  Big achievements don’t happen by accident—they happen because you set the right goals, and you commit to them.  But not all goals are created equal.   Without clarity, purpose, and a plan, goals can feel overwhelming.  That’s where the right frameworks can transform your process.  --- Here are 6 frameworks to help you achieve any goal you set:  1️⃣ S.M.A.R.T. Goals   Make your goals:   - Specific   - Measurable   - Achievable   - Relevant   - Time-Bound  ➡ Example: “I want to increase sales by 20% in Q1 through better lead conversion strategies.”   Why it works: You know exactly what success looks like and when to celebrate it.  --- 2️⃣ The Golden Circle (Start With Why)   Simon Sinek’s framework is simple but profound:   - Why: What’s the deeper purpose behind your goal?   - How: What steps will make it happen?   - What: What action will you take today?  ➡ Example: “Why do you want to grow your team? To create opportunities for others to lead.”  --- 3️⃣ The Goals Pyramid   Break down goals into manageable levels:   - Ultimate Goal (The big picture)   - Strategy (How you’ll get there)   - Execution (Daily and weekly tasks)   - Resources (Tools and support)  ➡ Example: “Goal: Launch a new product. Strategy: Build a 3-month timeline. Execution: Weekly milestones. Resources: Team and tools.”  --- 4️⃣ BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals)   These goals push you to dream bigger than ever:   - Competitive BHAGs: Outperform your rivals.   - Transformative BHAGs: Inspire significant change.   - Internal BHAGs: Challenge your team to grow together.  ➡ Example: “Double our market share in 3 years by becoming the industry’s sustainability leader.”  --- 5️⃣ H.A.R.D. Goals   Set goals that are:   - Heartfelt: What inspires you?   - Animated: Visualize success clearly.   - Required: Make them non-negotiable.   - Difficult: Stretch your limits.  ➡ Example: “Launch a program that impacts 10,000 lives this year.”  --- 6️⃣ W.O.O.P. (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan)   - Wish: Define a meaningful goal.   - Outcome: Visualize the best result.   - Obstacle: Identify the barriers in your way.   - Plan: Map out your next steps.  ➡ Example: “Wish: Start a new career. Obstacle: Balancing work and learning. Plan: Dedicate evenings to online courses.”  --- 💡 What I’ve Learned:   Goals are your compass. They give you direction, focus, and the power to measure progress.  But frameworks like these are the bridge between setting goals and actually achieving them.  --- The Takeaway:   Dream big—but plan smarter.   Your goals don’t have to feel overwhelming when you break them down into clear, achievable steps.  💬 Which framework resonates with you most?   Let’s share ideas in the comments! 👇  ♻️ Found this helpful? Share it with someone who’s working on their next big goal.   ➡️ Follow for more strategies on leadership, growth, and goal-setting.