If knowledge, expertise, and training do not protect against overconfidence, what does? There is one thing that everyone can do. Research advises us to embrace empathy and understanding. Consider the reasons that you may be wrong. Reducing overconfidence in yourself or others, requires us to ask: How are we mistaken? What conditions might my conclusions be incorrect? These questions are hard because we generally enter discussions attempting to prove we are right. Engaging in thinking exercises that we might fail brings up our vulnerabilities. Being vulnerable reduces our overconfidence and increases our sense of humility with our expertise.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Emotions Are Contagious
Emotions are contagious. When we’re in the presence of challenging people, we are more likely to take on some aspect of their emotional state. However, if you are mentally prepared, you can create enough psychological distance to remain calm and neutral in the presence of volatility.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Don't Compromise...Yourself
It is not easy to take a stand, especially when the stakes are high. Knowing ourselves enough to know what works for us and what doesn’t, and integrating those things into our daily practices is what helps us recognize unhealthy compromise when it comes knocking.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: You Are In Control
You have more in control over yourself and your circumstances than you think. If you're dealing with the difficulties of challenge and change, remember that you have tools and strategies of your practice (faith, reflection, meditation, simple breathing, naming your feeling, choosing alternative responses) you can rely upon.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Be Your Own Guide
To cope with momentary stress or that of larger goals, commit to a practice. Investing in developing muscle memory pays off in better performance and smarter choices under pressure. Practice helps you process much of the "static of life” with greater skill.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Persuade
Persuasion—the ability to win people to our perspective—comes down to an ability to adjust. We adjust ourselves to provide the right message, to the right people, at the right time in order to more effectively connect and drive results with others. Developing these skills develops ourselves—specifically, our self-awareness, unique knowledge, and belief in what we’re saying.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Build Bonds
We get our results by having strong bonds with others. The quality of our relationships can either block or enable our success in projects as well as promotions. The ability to develop and build genuine rapport is critical to personal (and group) effectiveness.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Know Your Motivations
Like a seed, we are equipped with everything we need to succeed. We don't require perfect conditions. In fact, persistence amidst challenge and change is what serves as the catalyst for growth.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Hold Tension Between Feelings & Feel
Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for us. As it comes and goes, managing the in between time feels insurmountable because we think the goal is to maintain a constant state of high motivation. In fact, the goal is to maintain the in-between space more effectively. Managing our feelings helps us maintain an emotional equilibrium giving us a greater connection to the feel of our work.
Read MoreDriving Results With Others: Focus on the Small
The word “iterate” is one of the most overused jargon, but it is effective in pushing our learning, leadership and overall development forward. Focusing on the small wins helps combat the all or nothing mentality that creeps in when we are overwhelmed, looking for direction, and determining what reasonable next steps should be.
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