How do you distinguish between self-confidence and arrogance?
Posted on December 05, 2011 by Pam Thomas, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.
Find out how to draw the line between self-confidence and arrogance in the business world.
I think it is important to first create a distinction between self-confidence and arrogance so we can clearly identify them in the business world.
Arrogance can be described as having the attitude of being superior to another person. That feeling of superiority is often demonstrated through the use of over-inflated claims about one’s achievements and skills or by being overbearing in a team/group atmosphere.
It has been my personal experience that people who exhibit arrogance are often doing so to keep others at an arm’s length. With distance others won’t be able to see that the person “isn’t all that and a bag of chips”, but instead is a human being and may possess skills and attributes that aren’t as strong as they would like people to believe.
Self-confidence, on the other hand, is one’s own perception of self worth and it’s not based on the need to prove anything to anyone. When one is self confident they are comfortable with who they are, warts and all. A self-confident person does not have the need to make anyone feel “less than”, nor do they have a penchant for pointing out their accomplishments. Rather, they embrace constructive feedback and the opportunity for growth.
Here’s something important to remember when dealing with anyone in the business world: you have control over whether you choose to respond or react to any comment made or behavior exhibited. If you are dealing with an arrogant person, then reacting to their arrogance is a sure-fire way to illicit not only more arrogance, but a defensive posture. It is best to take a few deep breathes or even say, “Can I get back to you?” so you can respond constructively.
The bottom line, arrogance in the business world is a team destroyer and self-confidence is a team promoter.
