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Faith & Confidence

Faith and confidence are both critical to our development, leadership, and fulfillment in life. However, they are not the same thing even though many people try to treat them as such. Here are two examples to illustrate the difference:

• I’ve coached several players with a swagger to their step. They show up in all the big situations and want to be in the spotlight. They want the ball. They are sure of their skill set and ability to execute those skills at just the right time in competition. They typically don’t shy away from the moment. They run, full speed, into the fire. These players usually garner the admiration of fans and casual observers. They are confident.
  
• I’ve also coached several players with a quiet, consistent approach to their lot. They show up every day whether anyone is there to watch or not. They’ll take the ball, but don’t have to have it. They believe in their skill but are more sure of their ability to deal with whatever is thrown in front of them. They embrace the moment and enter the fire without fear. Few have the proper respect for these players except those in the arena with them. They have faith.
  

In order to be our best, we need both. 
In order to be the best leader, we need to help those we lead have both.

Why Should We Care?
Excellence is only possible through the merging of faith and confidence.

Confidence without faith is hollow. It produces moments of excellence surrounded by long periods of underachievement. It’s quick to claim excellence and superiority, while realizing the fragility of each unstable performance. Confidence without faith is an unsustainable model for excellence. It lacks the foundation, fabric, of excellence: a need and desire to improve. Confidence alone fails to value work.

Faith without confidence is wasteful. It works, sacrifices, and grows only to be sabotaged by a fear of being seen. It forms the precise foundation necessary to sustain excellence, only to back away when the starting gun sounds. Faith without confidence will always fall short. It lacks the fearlessness and disregard for judgment required by consistent excellence. Faith alone fails to value risk.

Faith and confidence, together, provide the perfect formula for sustained excellence. 
Belief plus work.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
The idea that belief and confidence are critical for high achievement is not new or revolutionary. It’s likely quite obvious if you pay any attention to the people around you who consistently perform at a high level and the people who struggle to maintain excellence. The challenge arises in establishing, growing, and living with faith and confidence. Here are a few ideas for each:

• Faith 
  
  • Establishing It - You need to know what you believe. Not what others believe or what they tell you to believe. What you believe. You must intentionally choose this - not only in your spiritual life, which is of the ultimate importance, but it also matters in your work life, home life, and social life. Sit, think, reflect … and decide. 
    
  • Growing It - Once you know what you believe, it needs to be challenged. Small adjustments and changes will likely take place but it’s through these tests that we grow our belief in our choices. Read, ask questions, and try out new things - your faith will grow in proportion to your curiosity.
    
  • Live It - Once your faith is established and you’ve invested time into growing it, you will still need to choose to live it. Living with faith feels a lot like acceptance. Faith allows you to trust your work and the process you’ve chosen. But, more than that, faith says you'll be fine regardless of the outcome.
    

• Confidence
  
  • Establishing It - Work.
    
  • Growing It - Our confidence can grow by doing something (usually hard), by being told that we can do something by someone we respect, or by watching someone else do something that we aspire to do. 
    
  • Live It - Unfortunately, confidence, like faith, is never final. We must continue choosing to be confident moment to moment. Our confidence is expressed in how we show up. We must choose to detach from the approval of others and remain true to our convictions daily.
    

Faith and confidence are inseparable when we are at our best. Helping those we lead to grow in each should be one of our primary goals as a leader.

Checkout Surrender the Outcome on Amazon and order The Score That Matters with Ryan Hawk & Brook Cupps before its release in March 2024. The latest blog from Blue Collar Grit can be found here!