The “revisit” post on “The Confident Leader” that I am sharing today was originally written in 2016 and was brought to my attention by a reader recently.
One of the things that was mentioned from the reading is that the spectrum of insecurity, confidence, and arrogance could not only be determined by your ability in any task, but how you feel personally at the time as well. I am sure I have wandered into the secure/arrogant domains when I was struggling with my mental and physical health. The blur between professional and professional is real, and what happens at home can impact work and vice-versa.
Keeping that in mind, I hope that provides some perspective as you read the post below.
How do we ensure that we do our best to honor staff in their personal lives so they can bring the best version of themselves to work and home?
I hope you enjoy the post (hopefully, said confidently!)
The Confident Leader
Much has been written on the notion of the trait of “arrogance” in leadership, yet insecurity is equally terrifying in any position of leadership. Confidence is crucial in this role, which is kind of that “sweet spot” of leadership. Both insecurity and arrogance can lead to decisions based not on what is best for kids but on personality. Below is a spectrum of where I see these things fitting.
Insecurity ←———————— Confidence ————————–> Arrogance
The reason the arrows point out from confidence is that we can sway in certain ways…we will all have moments of insecurity and arrogance, but the best leaders often stay in that middle space.
Here are some of the differences I see in the personality traits as a “first draft”.
(Please note that “arrogance” is sometimes insecurity in disguise.)
Just a few notes on this.
*The spectrum goes back and forth. People can deal with bouts of insecurity, confidence, and arrogance. There are also different aspects of our lives where we might show different areas of this continuum.
I always hope to give solutions on how we can better move from a problem to a solution, but in this case, I think it is necessary to be able to see these things in yourself. Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself in a leadership role.
- Who do I surround myself with and gravitate towards?
- When challenged, how do I react?
- When new ideas are shared from others, how do you show value and actively listen?
Confidence is crucial to leadership, but it can be a fine line between arrogance and insecurity. All three of these traits can become contagious in an organization based on what we model as well.
Which would you rather have people exhibit?
Perhaps similar to many, I would rather people exhibit confidence.
I think of insecurity more as humility for many leaders. Inexperienced leaders may not have encountered various contexts, leading them to adopt a more humble approach. On the other end, arrogance can also be audacity. Yes, we see leaders as arrogant in some aspects, perhaps because they, unlike the humble, less experienced, have a learned fearlessness with contexts of decision making. Especially when these decisions have to be made quickly and perhaps in front of an audience or in a meeting.
Confidence is indeed crucial for effective leadership, and effective teaching. It allows leaders to make decisions based on what’s best for their organization (in this case, what’s best for students) rather than being driven by personal insecurities or an inflated sense of self-importance.
Confidence, as a leadership skill, is certainly contagious. When combined with optimism and enthusiasm, it is a most positive trait and a great modeling technique for a school leader influencing both teachers and students.
Of course, balance is crucial. Mitigating the need for quick decision-making with keen listening skills and empathy is just as important as any other leadership skill.