Dharmesh Shah
Founder and CTO at HubSpot
- They take a stand not because they think they are always right… but because they are not afraid to be wrong.
They feel finding out what is right is a lot more important than being right. And when they’re wrong, they’re secure enough to back down graciously.
- They listen ten times more than they speak.
Truly confident people are quiet and unassuming. They already know what they think; they want to know what you think. So they ask open-ended questions that give other people the freedom to be thoughtful and introspective.
- They duck the spotlight so it shines on others.
Truly confident people don’t need the glory; they know what they’ve achieved. They don’t need the validation of others, because true validation comes from within. - They freely ask for help.
Many people feel asking for help is a sign of weakness; implicit in the request is a lack of knowledge, skill, or experience. Confident people are secure enough to admit a weakness. So they often ask others for help. - They think, “Why not me?”
Truly confident people know that access is almost universal. They can connect with almost anyone through social media. They know they can attract their own funding, create their own products, build their own relationships and networks, choose their own path. - They don’t put down other people.
The only comparison a truly confident person makes is to the person she was yesterday – and to the person she hopes to someday become. - They aren’t afraid to look silly…
Running around in your underwear is certainly taking it to extremes… but when you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally being in a situation where you aren’t at your best. - … And they own their mistakes.
When you’re truly confident, you don’t mind occasionally “looking bad.” You realize that that when you’re genuine and unpretentious, people don’t laugh at you. - They only seek approval from the people who really matter.
A lot of twitter followers or Facebook fans? That’s great. But truly confident people know the people who truly matter the most are truly behind them.