Looking Beyond the Debate
Don't confuse confidence with competence
Like many Americans, I tuned into the presidential debate on Thursday evening. And, like many Americans, I was struck by what I saw.
No, this isn’t a post about politics.
Rather, I was intrigued by the dynamics that played out on stage. The same dynamics that I see play out every day across our organizations, teams, and meetings. I’ll bet you do, too.
Thursday’s debate was a tale of two leadership styles:
Leader A (“Know-it-all Ned”) has strong opinions that they are rarely dissuaded of.
They speak early and often in meetings, expressing their opinions loudly. They speak with authority and confidence on every subject, no matter their actual level of expertise or correctness on the topic being discussed.Leader B (“Rambling Randy”) lacks confidence when they speak….if they speak at all.
They tend to ramble, struggling to make their point in a clear and succinct way. The may have the right expertise but are sometimes so knowledgeable that they go down a rabbit hole trying to explain something.
I imagine you’ve encountered these leaders in your organization. I certainly have.
Know-it-all Ned is the guy (let’s face it, they’re almost always men) who sucks the oxygen out of the room during every. single. meeting. they attend. You know, the one who everyone rolls their eyes at and silently says … ”there Ned goes again.” 🙄
While Rambling Randy, well … they’re nice. Talking to them one-on-one, you may be surprised to discover that they’re actually pretty knowledgeable. But overall, they’re considered to be relatively ineffectual as a leader.
And therein lies the problem.
We tend to view more confident people as more competent—even if they aren’t. (Want more on this topic? Check out the HBR article “To Seem More Competent, Be More Confident.”)
So what lesson can we learn here, as leaders ourselves?
If you’re a leader, it’s likely you have both Neds and Randys on your team. You may find, like I do, that it’s easy to be swayed by team members who speak with confidence and authority. And their confidence may be warranted.
Or it may not be.
As leaders, it’s important to reflect on the substance behind the delivery. And—this is key too—on whose voice isn’t being heard in the conversation. Because the best ideas (and our most valuable contributors) aren’t always the ones that are loudest.
Do you have a Ned or Randy on your team? What strategies do you use to ensure all voices are heard and the best ideas—not just the loudest ones—prevail?