Congruent confidence
High performance is a balance of confidence and competence
Confidence is the most important factor, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.
Jack Nicklaus
If we simplify performance in a given area of life, each of us exists in one of four categories:
Beginner
Arrogant
Undervalued
High Performer
Our levels of confidence and competence determine which category we fall into.
We’re at our best when our confidence is congruent with our confidence, so in a perfect world, we would move directly from Beginner to High Performer.
If these two factors aren’t balanced, we’re either Arrogant or Undervalued. Both of which will hold us back.
If we’re Arrogant, we might be able to open up doors by talking the talk, but when we can’t walk the walk, we’ll damage our reputation and won’t be able to deliver the results we want. In this situation, we need to focus our energy on developing concrete skills so we can actually deliver on the promises we make.
If we’re Undervalued, we’re not able to open doors by talking the talk, even though we’re able to walk the walk. In this situation, we need to develop the skill of selling ourselves. Getting ourselves into positions to leverage our skills is just as important as the skills themselves.
And if we’re Beginners or High Performers, we can pat ourselves on the back for aligning our confidence and competence correctly, but we must continue to push ourselves forward. As we improve our skills, we need to continue expanding the requisite self-confidence to go along with them.
Along the way, our confidence and competence will inevitably fluctuate, and we’ll become arrogant or undervalued, so we have to remain self-aware enough to identify these gaps and course correct along the way.
Ultimately, we want to continue improving in every area of life so we can talk the talk to open up any door we want and then walk the walk right through them.
Prompts
What quadrant do you fall in when you think about your life?
When you consider each of the most important areas of your life, which quadrant are you in in each?
What do you need to do to ensure your confidence is congruent with you comeptence in each area of your life?
Deep Dive
The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris
A guide to overcoming fear and self-doubt using principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.