I once had a boss who would tell old stories so often that team members would eventually roll their eyes. His stories were relevant to him but more than a little stale to everyone else…

That memory has me thinking about how the stories we tell reflect our credibility.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a business retreat led by Phil M Jones, the author of the terrific book Exactly What to Say. Beyond being a master of communication, Phil is a genius at helping people understand how they are perceived by others.

One of the many lessons I learned was: 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗼.

The truth is that every one of our past credentials and experiences becomes less relevant by the day. Today’s good story eventually becomes tomorrow’s cliche.

The only way to stay relevant is to always be building your bio. If your resume is like a board with dozens of pegs on it, what are you doing today to add new pegs to the board?

It strikes me that this concept applies to leadership as well.

It’s terrific to have past accomplishments, but those stories often don’t help the people in front of us now.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

The trap is that our history is often more powerful in our own minds longer than it is in anyone else’s. The more successful you become, the easier it becomes to rely on banked accomplishments instead of earning credibility today.

Here are three practical ways to demonstrate your leadership this week:

1. Have an impromptu 1-1 where you focus on helping someone overcome one roadblock holding them back.
↳Even better, take them to coffee or lunch to do this.

2. Ask one of your team members what their three-year career goal is.
↳Add this goal as a continuing item on your regular 1-1 meeting agenda

3. Lead up.
↳Ask your manager or a key Board Member for one action you could take that would make their job easier.

It strikes me that the best we can hope for from our past is that it earns us enough credibility that people let us help them today.

What’s one new skill or experience you’re adding to your professional bio this month?