I’ve never met a Real Leader who was not confident. I’ve never run across a cowardly leader who was.
False vs. Real Confidence
That isn’t to say I haven’t experienced many examples of false confidence. But it’s called False confidence for a reason. The bravado and know-it-all attitude is a facade.
Real confidence, quiet confidence, is the confidence that exudes from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about. Or knows what he is doing. Or both.
This kind of confidence is really self-confidence. The ability to believe in yourself and have knowledge that you will accomplish what it is you are attempting. Another term for this person is: Expert.
This is the point you have the self-confidence in your talent or your knowledge to put it into practice. Michael Jordan was an expert. He didn’t make every shot, but every shot he took he expected to make. And everyone playing with or against him, and everyone watching him, expected him to make it also.
By almost any yardstick, Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer of all-time. It was said of Nicklaus that he knew he was going to beat you. Not only that, he knew that you knew, that he was going to beat you. That’s expertise, and it’s a simple definition of self-confidence.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is sexy.
False Confidence
We have all been around local officials who pretend to know. These are people that follow one of two paths, either of which leads to a dead end.
Path #1: They have no idea what they are talking about, but feel they need to impress. We see this at the local level, particularly with elected leaders who, during a campaign, just clearly are not informed. They can’t answer questions (without realizing the fact that “I don’t know” is often a very appropriate answer), or they answer incorrectly. If elected, they delegate their communications to others. They do not have answers; therefore mumble basic facts and figures to try and hide their incompetency.
Path #2: They project an enthusiastic false confidence. Facts and figures roll off their tongues. They obfuscate, pontificate, complicate…and politicate! This “I know precisely everything there is to know about whatever subject we are talking about” attitude is the one we typically find in cowardly leaders. These are the leaders who do not need help, who are cowered and intimidated by local expertise. These cowardly leaders answer criticism with, “I was elected, therefore I am the expert.”
How do we distinguish false confidence from true confidence?
Authentic
Dr. Travis Bradbury, author of several books and a LinkedIn influencer, wrote this about the Daily Habits of Exceptional People:
They have authenticity. “Your words and actions align with who you claim to be. Your followers shouldn’t be compelled to spend time trying to figure out if you have ulterior motives. Any time they spend doing so erodes their confidence in you…”
The emphasis is mine, because I believe it to be so fundamental.
How many times do we wonder that about elected officials and their authenticity? Whether what they say is in our-or their- best interests?
Local leaders who pretend to “know” everything they are talking about, issue half-thought out quotes to the news media, and gloss over their shortcomings may, may, for a short period, be perceived as confident. However, that quickly erodes down to what it truly is- false bravado. False confidence.
Real Leaders are confident, and confident leaders are authentic.
III-11
