By Shane Reeves, PharmD, CEO, TwelveStone Health
This past week, I had the privilege of speaking at Lipscomb University’s weekly chapel service on a topic that sits at the center of my leadership philosophy: credibility. In a world moving faster than ever—where news cycles refresh every hour, social feeds never sleep, and genuine face-to-face conversations are becoming rare—credibility may feel old-fashioned. But in reality, it’s a superpower. Once you lose it, it’s incredibly hard to reclaim.
So, what is credibility?
It’s not charisma. It’s not title. It’s not how loudly or frequently you speak. It’s about three things:
Consistency: when your words and actions align every time.
Dependability: when you make a commitment and follow through.
Humility: when you make a mistake and own it immediately.
In leadership, credibility is currency. People may comply because of authority, but they only trust—and take meaningful risks—when they believe you are credible. When they know your actions match your words.
A Bridge Built on Trust
There’s a story I shared at David Lipscomb in chapel about a small Tennessee town divided by a river and connected only by an old, unreliable wooden bridge. One day a young engineer named Daniel arrived, promising to build a steel bridge that would last a century. The townspeople were skeptical—they had heard big promises before.
But Daniel didn’t win them over with speeches. He won them over by showing up early, staying late, explaining every step of the work, and following through every single time. When the big flood came years later, that bridge stood strong. And from that moment on, if Daniel said something, people believed him without hesitation. He had earned their trust the long way—through credibility.
Credibility in Our Infusion Centers
At TwelveStone, credibility isn’t a leadership concept. It’s a care philosophy. It shows up every day in our infusion centers—in the details, in the decisions, and in how our team serves patients.
Those questions aren’t answered by clever branding or polished websites. They’re answered by consistent, dependable, humble care.
Credibility is the nurse who explains every step of the infusion—even if the patient has heard it before.
- Credibility is the pharmacist double-checking every dose.
- Credibility is the scheduler who calls back the same day.
- Credibility is the chaplain who shows up when a family needs prayer.
- Credibility is a culture where promises are kept—every time.
Credibility Is Earned, Not Declared
As I shared with the Lipscomb students, you can’t demand credibility. You can only earn it. The same is true in healthcare. Every patient, every referral partner, every family member forms an opinion of us long before we speak. They evaluate whether we show up, follow through, and stay humble.
So here’s the question for all of us:
When people hear your name—or TwelveStone’s name—do they believe we are people they can count on? Always?
If the answer is yes, then we are on the right road. And if not, today is a good day to start building that bridge.
