The Confidence Code: 3 Ways to Project (and Attain) Success

Some people look like leaders. Cool, collected, and confident at all times. But is that true? And if a veneer of polish and poise masks the same doubts and vulnerabilities the rest of us have, how do some people always manage to appear composed? The answer appears to involve a combination of behavior and positive beliefs.

You have heard the slogan “You are what you eat?” Apparently, you are also what you think. Self-confident people accomplish more, consider themselves useful and valuable, and are perceived by others as successful both personally and professionally. The key is to unlock the right combination of thoughts and behavior within different settings. Research explains.

Source: Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

The Link Between Confidence and Competence

Some research has suggested a link between confidence and performance—which can impact perceived competence. Llia Sergeev et al. (2012), studying a sample of military advanced life support providers, found that training boosted self-confidence, which in turn was positively linked with individual experience or performance.[i] Although their study focused on life saving medical interventions, they noted that prior research studying athletics and academia found that more confident athletes often perform better than less confident counterparts, and within an educational context, self-reported confidence is linked with academic success.

Self-Validation and Confident Performance

When it comes to self-confidence and actual performance, apparently there is more to the story. Pablo Briñol et al. (2023) discussed self-validation theory and the impact of confidence on performance.[ii] They illustrate how confidence can validate thoughts such as beliefs, identity, and goals, which can enhance or detract from actual performance, depending on the thoughts that are validated. They examined the process of validation related to intellectual performance in academics, athletes competing in sports, and performance on different social tasks. Briñol et al. found that increased validation of positive thoughts improved performance, but increased validation of negative thoughts reduced performance.

Confidence and Team Effort

More recent research investigated the role of self-confidence in teamwork settings. Adrian Bruhin et al. (2024)[iii] conducted an experimental team effort task, recognizing effort and ability as complements, noting synergies between the efforts of teammates. After manipulating participants’ self-confidence about their ability, they found that overconfidence produced more effort, less “free riding,” and a higher amount of team profit. Bruhin et al. explain this finding as due primarily to the impact of overconfidence on an individual’s personal provision of effort, rather than others strategically responding to the overconfidence of a teammate.

Understanding the different ways in which ability, experience, expertise, and self-validation impact actual performance in different settings helps explain how confidence impacts perceived competence. Being all that you can be apparently begins internally, developing a winning combination of thoughts and effort which translates into external success.