Arrogance VS Confidence
Entrepreneurs need to be confident and tenacious.
But not arrogant or stubborn.
There is a fine line dividing both.
It is easy to mistake confidence for arrogance and the same goes for tenacity. Some entrepreneurs think they are tenacious but are simply being stubborn. I think a way to test if someone is being confident or arrogant is too challenge their ideas. A confident human being won’t be easy to convince but he will likely take pleasure in being challenged. An arrogant person will not even allow you to challenge any of his or her ideas.
It is harder to detect whether someone is tenacious or stubborn. I remember being accused of being stubborn and later proving my point. That would mean that I wasn’t stubborn but just tenacious. But how can you test this?
I have been accused of being arrogant in the past (not recently) and stubborn too. I would like to think that these people didn’t see that I wasn’t being arrogant but simply followed my instinct and wouldn’t easily give up. But I know it IS hard to see the difference so I don’t blame anyone.
Or is that an arrogant thing to say?
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Bas van de Haterd said,
December 24, 2007 @ 2:50 pm (14:50)
zoooo herkenbaar… hoewel ik van tijd tot tijd ook gewoon arrogant ben :)
Eén van de belangrijkste problemen die ik vaak zie is dat mensen met een, in mijn optiek niet steekhoudend, argument komen. Je aangeeft waarom je het daar niet mee eens bent, ze de ruimte geeft om uit te leggen waarom ze dat zo denken (je geeft ze immers redenen waarom het niet zo is) en ze dat argument blijven herhalen, zonder verdere verduidelijking. En als je het er niet mee eens bent, ben je koppig en arrogant…
Ach, in mijn optiek is de beste manier om het ongelijk te bewijzen gewoon succesvol zijn :)
December 24, 2007 @ 7:04 pm (19:04)
Hi Boris,
I find this post very interesting and therefore I would like to contribute as well.
As you, most of us entrepreneurs sometimes can be misunderstood being arrogant, when in fact arrogance is not the point.
While arrogant people can and often do succeed in business I have the feeling that is has a personal cost as well. Arrogance rarely results in good and solid personal and/or professional relationships. Often, arrogant people typically find themselves surrounded by exploitive individuals who are all willing to take the ride in good times, but at the first sign of trouble all you will see is their backs as they run for the hills.
Confident personalities/entrepreneurs can also succeed in business, but not at the expense of others as do the arrogant. Confident leaders have broader spheres of influence, attract better talent, engender more confidence, and earn more loyalty and respect than do those that lead with solely with other means.
I wish you to have a very Merry Christmas with your beloved ones.
Best,
Thomas
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