Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It: Why People Demand it

Chapter Five

Affirm Shared Values

Once there was a village in Nigeria where the people made their living by farming. The village lay in a large green valley that was lined with palm trees and bushes. Surrounding the village were fields with crops of yams, cassava, corn, and other vegetables. Just beyond the fields was a deep river that the villagers called “Baba.” The river was a friend and a provider for the people: the men used it for fishing, the women washed clothes on its banks, and the children played in its waters. But in the rainy season, the river overflowed and the people were fearful of its power. So, at a place where the river wound beyond the fields, they built a strong dam to hold back the water.

There was a man in the village ...