(421 words)
Have you ever felt scared people would think you’re incompetent?
I have. Today. And yesterday. And the day before that. There’s a portion of almost every day I feel scared of what others think of me.
I look at my teenage son and think of the first time I felt that crushing feeling, “They think I’m incompetent.” I was my son’s age.
As my high school swim coach, Bryan, walks up to me, I see him stare at a small puddle on the ground. “How will he tell me?” I wonder.
“You did it,” Brian says. “You disqualified the relay team in the last race of the meet. Just like you disqualified the other relay. And just like you disqualified yourself in all of your individual events.”
The corner of his mouth raises into a wry smile as he laughs, adding, “You just had the worst championship meet I’ve ever seen.”
After crying today, I laughed. That was a memorably horrendous day. Yet, at the time Brian’s smile didn’t make the situation feel any lighter. I’d thought of myself as a talented athlete for the first time that year. But that’s not how my coach, team, and fans looked at me that day.
Erin McCloskey explains that fear of being seen as incompetent is a professional’s most common fear. And that fear makes us perform worse.
Don’t focus on what you’re doing. Focus on why you’re doing it.
As a Conscious Capitalist you’ll focus on the benefit you deliver for all stakeholders: customers, employees, suppliers, society overall.
That mindset is more than just a tool to uncover more profit-enhancing opportunities. Conscious Capitalism empowers you to deal with self-doubt. Rather than focus on the task at hand and your own insecurity about it, you find power: Focus on why society needs that task done. And then do that task in the way that creates the greatest value for everyone involved.
I’ll never completely eliminate my self-doubt. But with new insights, tools, and strategies, I can impact the world.
When was the last time you felt self-doubt? How did you get past it?
Share this with someone who could be suffering from self-doubt. They probably are. And they’re not alone.
Please also share your thoughts in the comments or by sending me an email: info@RodWallacePhD.Com.
Our society cannot just survive. For the sake of our children, it must thrive.
Rod
Dr. Rod Wallace is an economist, consultant, and speaker who helps businesses make more money by solving society’s problems. A Fulbright Fellow, he has led multi-organization billion-dollar initiatives worldwide and partnered with a Silicon Valley pioneer to explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence on society.
Rod speaks about how to integrate social responsibility into business to maximize profit and purpose. He highlights digital technology’s impact on society and the strategies and tools with which business can solve our big, systemic problems.
Contact Rod at info@RodWallacePhD.com.