Building Confidence through Competence

Most people have heard the phrase, “Fake it till you make it,” but how often do we hear people talking about building confidence through competence? It’s not a new concept, but it does require more work than simply acting “as if” you are where you want to be, even if you’re still on the journey. Faking confidence can be great for certain situations, but it is often a short-term solution. However, if your confidence comes from experience, ability, and skill, then it is not easily threatened.

The other problem I see with faking confidence is that people may lean on that as an excuse rather than actually trying to grow. That’s not always the case, and faking confidence can eventually lead to gaining confidence, but when you focus on improving yourself and consistently performing well, then confidence comes naturally. Competence is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently, and if you are competent in your job, then your work will speak for itself.

I have met a lot of people who sound like they know what they’re talking about and look like they know what they’re doing, but in reality, it’s just performative. If you fact check them or pay attention to their performance, you will start noticing problems. While this may not seem like a big deal to most people, if someone like this is in a leadership position, then they are likely to confidently lead people in the wrong direction, even if they mean well. This is why it is so important to prepare your people before they are promoted. On the other side, it is critical that the individual understands the importance of learning and growing, not just appearing put together in front of the team.

We all have to start somewhere, and there is nothing to be ashamed of if you are still learning. There is no shortcut to success. You have to put in the work, learn from your mistakes, and keep moving forward. One day you will look back and realize how far you have come, and you will know that you have earned your success. You can be confident because you first became competent. So never stop learning, never stop growing, and never doubt your worth.

-Meghan Slaughter