Mark Ottobre uses skydiving to show why competence matters more than confidence. A confident but incompetent jumper dies. A terrified but competent one pulls the chute and survives, then gains confidence through repeated success. Build the skill first.
Question: if we were going parachuting, would you rather have competence or confidence? Well, let's play this out. I have confidence going parachuting. I feel really great. I'm in the parachute. I get up there and I have no idea how to pull the chute. I die. Versus competence: I'm scared shitless out of my mind the entire time, but I know how to pull the chute. Now, I guarantee if you do that enough times, you are no longer going to be scared. You are going to have what's called confidence. So the question we need to ask ourselves: confidence is not a prerequisite for competence, but competence is a prerequisite for confidence. So next time, rather than look for confidence, what you really need is competence and evidence that you're able to do what you say you are. If you want more coaching tips, make sure you follow my page, Mark Ottobre, for more.
