Elusive Confidence

It’s the leadership trait that Harvard Business Review says few leaders succeed without. Tony Schwartz, president & CEO of The Energy Project says, “Confidence equals security equals positive emotion equals better performance.” Confidence is that “never-let-them-see-you-sweat” attitude, the strong voice that carries decisions rooted in firm conviction. That’s the trait of confidence most often associated with leaders.

While that form of confidence is important and needed, there is a different form of confidence, what I call “elusive confidence” too rare among leaders. This is the kind that allows the leader to be so secure in her unique mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities that she seeks to surround herself with those who are smarter and more capable in areas she is not. This elusive confidence emboldens the leader to find ways to grow others around him, knowing that among his greatest successes will be how those he led flourished and grew under his guidance. The leader with this trait will be secure enough, or confident enough, to look for prime opportunities to enthusiastically trust those on her team who arrived at a different conclusion on a particular decision.

The other thing about this elusive confidence is that it is highly contagious. Once you and I capture more of it and put it into practice, it will become much less elusive to those around us… I’m confident of that!

–Joe Paulo, President & CEO of KSBJ Radio