Leadership is Confidence

In leadership, confidence often shows up in our ability to act decisively. But true leadership demands more than quick decisions—it requires balancing confidence with thoughtfulness. As a leader who has grappled with the complexities of decision-making, I've learnt that authentic leadership isn't just about being decisive but thoughtfully decisive. There is a delicate balance between confident action and measured consideration.

In my journey as a leader, I've discovered that my entrepreneurial thinking style and willingness to make quick decisions have been powerful assets. This confidence to act when others might hesitate comes from experience and self-awareness. When you're less risk-averse than most, you're naturally positioned to seize opportunities that others might hesitate to take. This decisive confidence can be particularly valuable in startup phases and times of rapid change.

Let me share a pivotal moment that taught me about the power of confident leadership. As one of two co-founders of EdSmart, we faced a moment that would test our decision-making capacity and our confidence as leaders: a global, billion-dollar corporation approached us about subcontracting on a major government tender.

The stakes were immense. We were, by comparison, a minnow in the ocean of enterprise technology. The documentation was extensive, the timeline tight, and the implications of getting it wrong were significant. This wasn't just a business opportunity but a chance to demonstrate that a smaller company like ours could deliver at the same level as our larger competitors. This was exactly the moment when leaders could get paralysed by the magnitude of the decision—when confidence could waver in the face of overwhelming odds.

But here's what I learnt about confident leadership: sometimes, the more significant risk is not taking the risk at all. True confidence isn't about being sure everything will work perfectly—it's about being sure you can handle whatever comes next. Together, we chose to say yes, recognising that while the challenge was significant, the opportunity for growth was greater.

The outcome of this decision proved transformative for our organisation. We became one of the few small-scale companies to hold a whole-of-government contract. This achievement redefined our market position in the technology sector, where size often equals credibility, and it reinforced our confidence as an organisation to compete at the highest levels.

The immediate contract win was just the beginning. This revenue stream became a cornerstone of our business model, providing the stability needed for further growth and innovation. But more importantly, it proved that confident leadership isn't just about the initial choice—it's about the conviction to deliver what you promised.

When Steve Ballmer passed the CEO baton to Satya Nadella at Microsoft, he offered advice perfectly capturing the essence of confident leadership: 

"Be bold and be right. If you're not bold, you're not going to do much of anything. If you're not right, you're not going to be here." 

He encapsulates the twin pillars of leadership confidence: the courage to act and the competence to deliver.

In my experience, leadership confidence manifests in several ways: we must make decisions when others hesitate, see opportunities where others see risk, take calculated chances on new possibilities, and stand firm in our convictions.

Yet confidence alone isn't enough. Being right demands a more nuanced approach: deep listening to understand the full context, gathering key data points while maintaining momentum, building a team that balances your quick-acting style, and understanding the human impact through empathy. True confidence comes from knowing you've considered all these elements.

One of the most important decisions I've made as a leader was acknowledging that effective leadership isn't about being confident in everything but building a team that gives you confidence in every area. 

Our small executive team includes detail-oriented and conscientious leaders who balance my more intuitive approach. This shared confidence—knowing each team member brings their unique strengths—creates a powerful dynamic: We achieve natural checks and balances between quick decisions and thorough analysis, embrace different thinking styles leading to more robust decisions, enhance implementation through vision and detailed execution, and maintain entrepreneurial speed and operational excellence.

In my previous exploration of leadership, I wrote about how "the real magic of leadership lies in setting all that aside and simply listening—not just to respond, but actually to understand." This might seem at odds with being a confident leader, but they're complementary strengths. The confidence to listen, really listen, often marks the most secure leaders.

Satya Nadella noted, "Ideas excite me, empathy grounds and centres me." This balance between confident action and thoughtful understanding has been crucial in my leadership journey. When we combine confident, decisive action with deep insight, we create faster and better decisions.

Integrating these leadership elements creates a more complete approach to confident decision-making. It begins with the confidence to act quickly when opportunities arise, deepens through the confidence to listen and gather context, develops further with the confidence to consider human impact, and culminates in decisive action informed by data and human factors.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson I've learnt is that mature leadership isn't about unwavering confidence in your natural style—it's about having the confidence to know when and how to adapt it. My quick, intuitive decision-making remains a strength, but I've learnt to wrap it in a framework of deliberate consideration when the stakes are high.

Embracing confident leadership grounded in empathy and understanding can transform your decisions and your entire organisation. The cost of inaction often exceeds the cost of an imperfect decision, but the best decisions come from balancing confident action with deep understanding.

What's your experience with balancing confidence and careful consideration in decision-making? How do you know when to trust your instincts and when to slow down?