The message of confidence

One of the best indicators of team performance is the confidence they collectively show in actions and speech.

The first day I left my daughter at school one of the teachers said “You will like it here”, not the typical swedish "I hope you will like it here. but a very confident assertion. The difference is small but important, first it sends a message of self imposed responsibility and secondly it sends a message of confidence in your own abilities to accomplish it.

The other day I heard the developers in a team discussing a problem and stumbling upon a new fact which revealed another problem. One of the team members just pointed out "That's just a different problem, we can solve it later" and they moved on. Even if you don't know all the details, with a good confidence in your abilities you will be able to move into the unknown and reach your goals faster.

From a leadership perspective building confidence is important. Support in hard times and praise when things go well goes a long way. I think that this was one of the best parts of Barack Obamas "Yes we can" campaign, his effort to instill confidence in America.

For reading to the end, have a picture of Captain Marvel a superhero that develops a great confidence as her powers grow and take on great responsibilities.