5 Ways to Reject Arrogance and Develop the Beauty of Real Confidence

Bravado impresses the blind, intimidates the ignorant, comforts the fearful, and offends the skillful.

Confidence doesn’t need to brag, impress, outdo, or put others down.

5 ways to develop real confidence:

1. Burst the false belief that there’s a magic answer. Confidence doesn’t defend answers. It expands options.
2. Bring up poor performance with the future in mind. Arrogance uses the past as a whipping post.
3. Tell teammates you’re developing your leadership. Reject godlike competence. Embrace and model a growth mindset. 
4. Equip and trust teams. Be supportive, but expect others to pull their weight.
5. Have open conversations. Reject the need to be right.

Openness and confidence:

Confidence is open. Bravado stands aloof.

Confidence in the office is an open door. A closed door breeds arrogance, isolation, and blame. (Yes, you need closed-door-time to do meaningful work.)

Isolation signals lack of confidence.

Confidence with openness makes others know they matter. Arrogance tries to matter more by making others matter less.

Confidence with openness has room for curiosity. Faux confidence pounds it’s chest and tells people what it knows.

Confident curiosity is forward-facing. Leadership is always about building the future, not rebuilding the past. Curiosity concerning the past is like cow pies to flies for pompous short-sighted leaders.

Real confidence knows there’s more to know.

Gray-hairs in coffee shops long for the good ole days, but confident leaders lean into the future. Confidence rejects the comfort of the past. When the past is brighter than your vision, make reservations in the nursing home.

Coffee-shop leaders remember the good ole days when people seemed to work harder and communication was face-to-face. Confident leaders stand on the past and build the future.

What does confident leadership look like?

How might leaders reject arrogance and develop real confidence?