It's not hard to become cocky when you're very good at something.
Somewhere along that mystical self-development path you learn the difference between cocky and confident. John Agno, an executive career coach in Ann Arbor, Mich., has a lot to say about confidence and cockiness. "Confidence is powerful but subtle," he says, while cockiness is often based on an inflated or false sense of your own abilities.
Confident people are better prepared to deal with others, according to Agno. Based upon constant interaction, they've learned how to read people, size them up and, most important, manage them to achieve goals.
Confident managers bring out the best in others. They know how to "employ strategy to get a desired action," Agno says. "They know what questions to ask in order to gather information to make sound, well-thought-out decisions. They've learned how to anticipate obstacles so they can sidestep potential roadblocks in order to reach their objectives."
Cocky people, on the other hand, have a tendency to shoot from the hip and often make rash, illogical decisions. "They don't understand the impact their forceful personalities have on others," Agno adds. One of the biggest mistakes cocky managers make is failing to listen to others, Agno says. If you can't listen to what others have to say, you won't be able to ask good questions and gather and evaluate information so good decisions are made.
Agno says confidence is built through self-discovery and awareness. An aware person is in touch with himself and his surroundings. He doesn't take anything for granted. He's learned to observe and monitor his feelings and reactions before he acts. A cocky person often will act rashly and impulsively and not think about the consequences of his actions. He'll rely more on his instincts than his intellect, whereas a confident person has learned to employ both intellect and instinct and keep his emotions in check.
Source: Abstracted from "The Difference between confidence and cockiness" by Bob Weinstein, Special Sections correspondent, The Tampa Tribune, December 9, 2007