by Rick Baker
On Mar 7, 2017
Confidence is a personal thing.
There is no reason to design your self-confidence in a way that fits someone else’s viewpoint or rules.
Your self-confidence can and should be as big as you want it to be…including believing you’re better than anyone else. If you choose to think that way, you will be in good company:
- consider how Muhammad Ali felt and thought when he was in his prime1,2
- think about Wayne Gretzky – would any of us have told Gretzky to stop thinking he was the best?
- think about Napoleon who changed the world
Now, some people confuse confidence with cockiness/hubris/conceit…
Perhaps cockiness does correlate with confidence; perhaps, on average, confident people are cockier than people who are not confident?
Regardless: cockiness is not about what you believe; cockiness is about how you behave. You can choose to be confident without choosing to be cocky. And, confidence without cockiness is a magnetic, inspiring combination.
On the one hand -
No question – sometimes highly-confident behaviour can be off-putting to other people.
On the other hand -
No question – thinking you are better than anyone else can result in Olympic gold medals, putting a man on the moon…and numerous examples of business brilliance.
It seems to me…
Champions and serious contenders must believe they are better than anyone else. Otherwise they are doomed to not be champions or contenders for very long. This applies in the big picture [the major political stages, the premier-level sports stages, etc] and it applies on smaller-scale stages [your chess club, your karaoke contests, etc].
People with lesser ambitions should not impress their non-champion or non-contender beliefs on champions or other more-confident competitors.
Footnotes:
- I have special memories of Muhammad Ali. He ignited my life-long interest in the sweet sport. I remember, when I was very young, attending fight night at our local arena...watching Ali on the big screen, listening to my Dad and his buddies root for the other guy [ex. Joe Frasier]...and all the time wondering why I wanted Ali to win...and wondering what funny things Ali would say to the reporters after he won the fight. Sure, Ali was both confident and cocky. For me, his cockiness was a small thing to endure to witness his tremendous personality and humour...and, of course, his champion-level boxing performances.
- In December 1999 Muhammad Ali received some rather special recognition. Here's a couple of examples: he was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of The Century and BBC Sports Personality of the Century.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 2, 2017
It doesn't matter what you've done or what you know or even who you know.
What matters is what you're going to do next and, of more importance, whether or not people are positively influenced by what you do next.
Sure, from time to time, it's fun to reminisce about the glory days. On the other hand, the glory days are not here again until you make it so. And as you make it so you may not be able to do it the same way it happened the last time.
As Dylan taught us - the times they are a-changin'.
You will need to adapt and accommodate to the current situations.
As Darwin taught us - "Survival goes not to the strongest or the most intelligent but to the one who is most adaptable to change."
Yes, it is true, what you know is important to a degree.
Better stated, what you know contains potential value. Specialized knowledge is of particular value. The extent of the value of your knowledge is determined by your ability to identify opportunities and do constructive things to convert those opportunities into positive changes [desired by other people].
Your future success boils down to how you intend to put your strengths - that is, how you intend to put your talents, knowledge, and skills - to good use in the future.
Your future success depends on whether or not you can positively influence other people to help you achieve the goals you envision.
Your future success depends on what you're going to do next: positive change happens one action-step at a time.
by Rick Baker
On Feb 28, 2017
Business people say...
I want to understand my role, the contribution I am to make, and how it fits in with team contributions and company success.
I want to have the opportunity to use my talents and strengths.
I want to know the goals I am expected to achieve and how those goals fit in with team goals and company success.
I want a "truly safe" place to work, make errors, and learn from my errors.
I want decision-making authority and autonomy.
I want "constructive" feedback, delivered with sensitivity.
I want to experience success celebrations.
I want to know plans are in place, providing a level of predictability.
[Fail to provide these things and you and your followers will fall into the Boss-Subordinate Chasm]
***
Things People Don't Want
Ambiguity/Uncertainty: changing rules, changing messages, unclear communications, impossible goals, change in general
Criticism: in any form, however, public criticism is especially undesirable
Overseeing: micro-managing, nitpicking, policing
Perfectionists' expectations