She Didn’t Believe – But Others Did
The incompetent may not recognize their ineptitude. It’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. I’ve known individuals who had no idea how unskilled they were.
Competence:
The research of Dr. David Dunning and Dr. Justin Kruger also suggests that highly skilled individuals may underestimate their competence.
It’s a gift to believe in someone when they don’t believe in themselves.
Olympic success:
Olympian Gwen Jorgensen was enlisted to participate in the triathlon while in a cubicle at the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. U.S. recruiters believed she could succeed.
Jorgensen, at first, didn’t believe. Today, she’s an Olympic Gold Medalist. It began with people believing in her.
Successful leaders believe in potential that others don’t see in themselves.
5 ways to ignite underutilized potential:
#1. Aspire for others in ways that align with their abilities and talent.
- Find new expressions and applications of abilities.
- Don’t impose your aspirations on others.
- Don’t imagine that fixing people ignites their passion.
#2. See beyond weaknesses. Some leaders constantly complain about team members. Weaknesses are magnets that capture and narrow a negative leader’s focus.
Weakness-centric leaders lose the opportunity to bring out the best in others.
#3. Honor current achievements. Don’t say, “You could be so much more,” until you’ve celebrated what they’ve already achieved. You might say, “You’re awesome at making decisions. I wonder where you might go?”
#4. Talk about what they might achieve with focused attention and hard work. When they rise up, keep fueling their fire. (It may take time for individuals to believe in themselves.)
#5. Advance untested team members cautiously. You may set them up for failure. Remember that some individuals overestimate their abilities and don’t recognize their incompetencies.
- Provide temporary opportunities.
- Explore inner motivations.
- Avoid hand-holding.
- Provide honest feedback.
- Build on success. Go with emerging passions.
Stretching people is central to leadership success.
How might leaders ignite underutilized potential?
“Don’t imagine that fixing people ignites their passion.”
Very good advice.
Thanks!
Thanks Patrick. Best wishes.
Great insights Dan (as always!).
We humans are such a contradiction: we are “certain” of so many things for which we only see in part (don’t get me started on the world of politics), while being uncertain of other things for which we should be more confident. Often, we must rely on the perspective and faith of others on our behalf to keep moving forward.
When we as leaders (in the family or at work) believe in others, even and especially when they struggle to believe in themselves, it is like life-giving oxygen to the one lacking confidence.
Let’s look for opportunities to bring life wherever we are!
Thanks Patrick. Maybe it’s a good thing that we don’t always see ourselves clearly. It forces us to rely on others. Although, it took me half a lifetime to believe others could see things in me that I couldn’t. (Slow learner)
Love the oxygen metaphor. It speaks to me. Cheers
Nice to see Dunning-Krueger effect get some creditable mention. The flip side of the effect is the over-estimation of competence by the under-skilled, which probably looms larger on the leader’s daily radar. Simply being aware that both sides of the effect are real (but largely ignored) is a great step forward. Thanks, Dan, for putting this on the table.
Thanks Jim. It’s surprising that the Dunning-Krueger Effect doesn’t get more play. Leaders face the challenge of convincing someone they aren’t qualified. It’s darn hard work and dangerous too.
Perhaps the value of a little overconfidence is one reason Dunning-Krueger is neglected?? Cheers