A couple of weeks ago, we wrote a post about The 5 C’s of Self – Confidence and the importance of standing in your own truth. The 5 C’s include:
Conviction, Certainty, Commitment, Courage, and Connection
While many of you wrote that you loved the idea of the 5 C’s, those of you who know us know that we are often saying don’t get certain, get curious. So, many of you asked what we were thinking when we included certainty in this list. And what a great question that is!
As you will recall, we said Certainty is key because Confidence in its simplest form is trusting your truth – holding that your truth is your truth. Knowing your truth and having a sense of which truths you trust and which you’re not so sure about will help you become clear about what you have confidence in.
Here is how we think about it:
Having certainty in your truth is very different than
being certain that you know THE truth.
You can have considerable certainty in your truth and still be curious and influenceable. In fact, it’s really important that you have both. Without some certainty in your own truth, you won’t likely lean in to influence others, and you may be influenced by others in a way that is not in the balance of influence and influenced by.
One of the most challenging aspects of being a leader is striking that delicate balance between influencing and being influenced by. When you grow those 5 C’s you will be more effective in that balance. It will help you to stand in your truth while exploring and considering the larger truth.
For example, it may be your truth that the mission of your organization requires passionate commitment to people’s success while still being the truth that the organization needs to lay off some people to sustain financial stability.
In this case, you might start the conversation saying that you want to remind the team that you’re committed to creating an environment where people feel valued and respected in their work. And, at the same time add that you’d prefer to not have to lay people off if at all possible.
You have a deep discussion where you’re curious about other peoples’ perspectives and the data that led to their conclusions. After the discussion, you come to agree that a limited number of layoffs (done well) really is the most effective way to create financial sustainability and ultimately care for the people you must let go and the people who will continue to work for you. Your decision-making process is in the balance of influence within a larger truth.
This week we’d encourage you to explore the difference between standing in your truth and becoming certain that you know THE truth. The ability to hold your truth in confidence while exploring other truths will empower you as a leader and the people you are leading.