Confidence and Competence

Let's expand on the role of leaders as advocates and antagonists that we discussed last week. Developing people is not quick or easy. People are complex and diverse in every imaginable way. So, where do you start? I suggest you break it down simply to two variables – confidence and competence. Pretty much everything you need to do as a leader with regard to developing people involves one of these variables. In short, confidence has to do with the strength of an individual’s belief that he/she can accomplish a task or objective. Among the enemies of confidence are fear, uncertainty and failure. Leaders can counteract these by playing the role of the advocate which we discussed last week. Advocates listen actively, ask thoughtful questions, demonstrate trust, tolerate well-intentioned mistakes, coach performance, provide training, and serve as constant encouragers. Good leadership advocates also encourage fresh starts, “shield” individuals when necessary – allowing them time and space to grow – and remind people about what is most important.

Confidence is not enough however. People also need to be competent. Incompetence will erode confidence over time. Consistent, competent performance, on the other hand, can provide a big boost to confidence. In brief, competence is the strength and consistency of an individual’s success in completing a task or objective according to standard. Competence is fed by the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills, and is fueled by regular and reliable feedback about performance results. Feedback provides the necessary information people need for gauging their performance and making adjustments. It is essentially the way we learn and develop from infancy through adulthood. Leaders can learn something from the well-intentioned antagonists here. One of the things that these individuals do is speak the truth. In order to grow, we need to hear and eventually internalize the truth about our own behavior and performance. None of us live in a vacuum or a bubble. What we do, or don’t do, impacts others. Improving ourselves involves acknowledging our weakness as well as our potential to be better. It also involves mustering the will and demonstrating the discipline to change. Leaders can play a key role in this process and should not shy away from it. While you can’t exactly make people do push-ups in the freezing rain like a drill sergeant in the Marines, you can provide the "resistance" people need in order to reach deep inside to discover, activate and trust their strengths. The most significant achievements we experience in life usually involve overcoming barriers and obstacles that are placed in our way.

The bottom line is this: no one, in any endeavor, builds strength and fortitude without facing resistance. Leaders who are interested in bringing out the best in others must sometimes take calculated risks. They must find ways to test and ignite the spirit within others without going so far as to break it. It can be a fine line to be sure, but it is often the line that defines greatness.