The Best Response — Confidence & Generosity
“Showing up, again and again, with confidence and generosity, is the best response.”
In a recent blog post, Seth Godin talked about the 10x marketer. These marketers don’t play the game — they change the game by questioning tactics & “being willing to re-imagine the story your organization tells.”
Sounds awesome, right? Well, yeah until you’re the one coming up against the “we-don’t-do-things-that-way” mindset of colleagues & leaders who have been doing things the same way far too long. Having others doubt your ideas can lead to a lot of self-doubt & discouragement.
But Seth says we must have “persistence in the face of apathy.” What does that mean? It means that “Showing up, again and again, with confidence and generosity, is the best response.”
Showing up with confidence applies to that little voice inside your head that begins questioning your abilities, especially when you’re suggesting something a little different — a challenge to the status quo. People express uncertainty & doubt, & the little voice says, “maybe they’re right.” Show up to that voice with confidence, & say, “maybe those doubters are right, but maybe they’re not. Maybe I’m right. And how will we ever know if we don’t try.”
Showing up with generosity applies to those who are timid about any sort of boat being rocked in any sort of way, so they resist the change effort you’re bringing forth. Be generous with them. They’re likely suffering from the same self-doubt — or some other insecurity — as you are, which is the source of their trepidation.
Be generous with them. Generously share your confidence with them. Generously share your goodwill with them. Generously share your vulnerability with them — “I know this is different & a little scary, but I’m confident it will be GREAT if we can do it together. I want us to do this together.”
Showing up, again & again, with confidence & generosity won’t always be easy. Actually, it will probably never be easy. But it will be GREAT if we can do it together.
