Are you unknowingly overconfident?
When does confidence become overconfidence?
If you’re ever feeling in need of a pick-me-up, then search for some of the most famous commencement speeches on YouTube. You’ll find similar messages everywhere.
?????Don’t judge yourself too harshly.
?????Follow your own truth.
?????Never doubt yourself.
?????YOU are an extraordinary person, exactly the way you are.
Chef Mario Batali told Rutgers University graduates to “follow your own truth, expressed consistently by you.”?
You’ve probably heard the advice to keep your confidence high. An old boss once gave me a book called You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. No kidding. Books like this preach the idea of maximum confidence.?The more confidence you have, the better. I get it, but…?
What we rarely hear, or openly talk about, is the problem of overconfidence
How too much confidence can have harmful effects.?
When confidence gets us into trouble
Overconfidence happens when we lose a sense of our own limitations, or when our beliefs become warped or detached from reality. For example:
????You believe you can drive safely at super-fast speeds because you are a great driver.
????You think you’re going to ace an exam, and therefore don’t study, so you get a bad grade.
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????You throw away your savings on an investment because it turns out you didn’t have great information about the potential risks.
????You predict winning a race (or even an election) comfortably, but end up losing badly.
Overconfidence can make us insufferably annoying or arrogant to other people. But it can be hard to see in ourselves.
The real danger of overconfidence is you can lie to yourself—and others.?
—Professor Don Moore, from his book Perfectly Confident
Confidence requires balance.
Too little of it is a recipe for constant doubt and inaction. Too much of it, and you risk making poor decisions with unwanted consequences.??
Acting with the right level of confidence requires the courage and humility to know your limitations. Listen to facts and be open to changing your mind.
Warmly,
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Accredited Coach - DISC Expert - Facilitator - Working with Executives & Emerging Leaders who want to lead better and build high performing teams & inclusive workplaces.
4 年Good article Rachel Botsman. I coach on developing confidence to support your reputation. What helps to balance it is a healthy dose of humility.
center store specialist at Winn-Dixie
4 年Thanks for sharing
The real trouble is when overconfidence is confused with competence. That could be a disaster. It happen too often, unfortunately.
Human Resources Executive I Servant Leader I Coach
4 年Thank you, Rachel, for highlighting this too frequent Achilles’ heel of irrationally optimistic leaders. Overconfidence can lead to devastating post-failure damage that makes recovery challenging to an organization. Know the limits. Push them.
Irrigation Management / Synthetic Field Services
4 年Nicely addressed. What factors do you consider necessary for a person to strike the right balance? Can one do so, in your view, without an outside perspective?