Ep74: Confidence - An Origin Story

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who ignores the substance of the conversation, and instead present themselves as an authority based on their experience or resume, instead of their response to the issue? This is exactly the kind of incident that instigates todays story/rant, and leads to a discussion about authenticity, confidence, and credibility.

Why is that important for business?

This kind of appeal to authority can sometimes be mistaken for confidence, but it comes across as having its roots in insecurity instead. When someone is truly confident, they let the substance of their input speak for them. You can do something for 30 years and still not do it well, so experience isn’t a replacement for a cogent argument.

Relaying your resume is an attempt to build credibility, but it often backfires. Genuine, authentic presence can do more for your credibility than a listing of your experience.

Sometimes, confidence is simply a matter of acting as if – it is starting at the end, figuring out how you want to present yourself to the world, and then justifying that with action. If you want to be a hat person, start wearing hats; if you want to be a writer, then write. Confidence only comes through action.

When someone starts talking about their experience instead of the issue in front of them, that means they are coming at this from an “I” agenda. The only way to get a win is to come at it from a “We” agenda. And it is easier to arrive at a “We” agenda with authenticity, the Litmus test for which is the act of pulling from the moment, the present conversation, instead of a potentially irrelevant resume.

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