Borrowed Credibility at its Peak

When you associate yourself with the smartest people and use that association to prove your value, you are in the Borrowed Credibility territory - and it is at its peak right now in a world of followership and signaling where no one knows who the real expert is :)

While I have appreciated the need for associating with the smartest people, I've always worried about the thin line between that and using that to borrow credibility --- because when you borrow credibility you almost admit your lack of expertise and that you have to rely on someone else to make you look smart.

Don't borrow credibility - do stuff where you are the one people borrow credibility from :)
Discuss on LinkedIn View Discussion