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Lead With Confidence
Shaquille O’Neal never has to tell anyone he is really tall (7 feet 1 inch!). Why? Because he knows he is and we can see that he is in person or on TV. What would it be like if he walked around telling everyone he was really tall? Would you be suspicious?
Gold Medalist gymnast Simone Biles doesn’t spend her time telling everyone she meets that she is a champion gymnast. To lead with confidence, she doesn’t need to boast. Why? Because she knows she is and we have seen her in the Olympics. What if you met Simone and she greeted you with a list of her accomplishments? Would it inspire confidence or concern?
Great leaders know they don’t have to tell people they are the boss because they lead with confidence and act accordingly. Their team members understand from observing and interacting that the leader is the leader. Managers who continually stand behind their title have an important lesson to learn- using a title to provide leverage reduces effectiveness.
When a manager regularly says “You have to do what I say because I’m the manager” it is because THEY don’t believe in themselves. Leading with confidence is key because if they don’t believe, the team won’t either. The team still needs to do what the manager says, however, a leader without confidence will be seen as ineffective. This type of behavior will earn compliance- the lowest level of performance.
What Great Leaders Know
- Have confidence in yourself
- There is no need to proclaim you are the leader when you know you are and lead with confidence
- Using a title as leverage weakens the perception of the leader
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
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