On Fauci, and Earning Credibility
Arguably the world’s most despicable supervillain has been exposed yet again. Anthony Fauci’s diary from the Covid years was released via subpoena this week, and it depicted a man every bit as dishonest, destructive, and self-obsessed as many of us guessed 6 years ago. (You can read summaries of the findings here and here.)
As much as I’d like to vent about the little ghoul who impacted billions of people’s lives for the worse, I’ll save that for another time. Instead…
I want to use Fauci’s downfall as a case study for how credibility is destroyed, and, conversely, how it’s built.
We live in a time of mass skepticism toward institutions. Major media outlets are watched less than ever. Churches are given no benefit of the doubt by many. Corporations are assumed to be untrustworthy and only out for their own profits at the expense of everybody else.
Now, the same is largely true of the medical industry. Due to Fauci’s numerous lies and missteps, his own professional credibility is all but nonexistent. And it’s not just his own credibility—he dragged down countless doctors and basically the entire public health industry with him. It used to be seen as low-status to question or ignore doctors. Now it’s all but a mainstream approach.
Here’s Fauci’s three step path to destroying credibility
Do your job incompetently
I’m not sure there is anybody in a high-leverage job on earth who was worse at it than Anthony Fauci. Being prepared for a major outbreak was one of the most important parts of his job… and when one showed up, he abandoned all protocol and just made up attempted solutions as he went along. Getting exposed as ignorant at best and malicious at worst is a perfect first step to killing off your credibility.
No matter what role you fill, people will not look past incompetence.
Corporations lose people when they produce lousy products, or fail at customer service. Media outlets fail when people notice that they lie by forcing their agenda into the news. Churches can lose credibility by failing to care for their people, or by being afraid to answer any kinds of questions. Incompetence kills.
Put self-image over results
Step number two in losing accountability is to let people see that you are more interested in cultivating your social image than you are in actually doing your job. As Jesus said, wash the inside of the cup and the outside will be clean, too. Worry only about the outside and the inside is going to rot (cf. Matthew 23:25-28).
One of the most disgusting revelations from Fauci’s diary has been that he came off as positively giddy about what Covid was doing to his popularity. Yeah, people were dying and he had ground the world to a halt… but he got on tv and appeared on some magazine covers! The optics are atrocious.
Clout chasing is easier than ever, and it can be lucrative too. In the short term, you can win credibility with your name recognition. In the long term, though, the fruits are going to speak for themselves. People will see if you’re serious about the truth, or if you’re just saying what will get you attention.
Refuse to take accountability
The diary shows that Fauci knew what he was saying publicly was either untrue or up for debate… but instead of being transparent, he doubled down and attempted to silence anyone who questioned him. Now that he’s out of a place of power, he sat before congress and plead the 5th amendment dozens of times to avoid accountability.
Being wrong here or there or changing your mind about something doesn’t kill credibility, because it happens to everybody at some point. However, if you refuse to admit fault when your failures are plain for all to see, you’ll never be trusted again. Fauci, thousands of doctors, scientists, and pundits, and the public health establishment in general, have lost a long-held place of respect in the eyes of millions, and they’re never getting it back. Especially as they continue to stand by their lies.
The road map to credibility
So, in order to build credibility in yourself, your church, or anywhere else, the process is pretty simple. Just reverse engineer the Fauci plan.
Be fiercely competent
Looking to the Proverbs, “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men” (Proverbs 22:29). To be fair, Fauci also stood before kings, but that exposure put his work up for intense scrutiny. Do the job well so that when people see it, they can tell that you know what you’re doing.
Aim for results, not accolades
Wanting to be adored by all is a great way to ensure that you will never stand for anything, and will always be controlled by the crowd. There is no glory in being renowned if you don’t deserve it. Deep down, you’ll know. Just worry about doing the job right and let the accolades come or go as they may.
Admit your missteps
Power hungry people think that saying “I was wrong” is a weakness. Quite the opposite, in fact. It shows that you care more about getting things right than you do about presenting yourself as perfect. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Put it to use
These principles apply anywhere. They work in your marriage, your career, in the church, and anywhere people are working toward some kind of goal together.
It is good to be known as someone who is reliable—though only if that reputation is actually true. As faith in institutions crumbles, cynicism will continue to have its day for a little while.
But eventually, people are going to need something solid to believe in and be a part of. Lay the groundwork right now by being the anti-Fauci and being competent, purpose-oriented, and honest.
Subscribe for free, or become a supporting reader and get digital downloads of all of my books!
Notes
Don’t forget you can get my latest book, You Are Saved: The Christian’s Assurance as a free download here, or in paperback or Kindle here
I’m also excited to tell you about the release of Grow! A Helpful Guide to Practicing the Spiritual Disciplines. I had the privilege of contributing to this book, available now from Heritage Christian University.