Confidence: How Winning and Losing Streaks Begin and End

by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

In the midst of winning cycles, people naturally gravitate toward behaving in ways that support confidence. • Accountability. People want to share information and take responsibility; they have nothing to hide. They seek feedback and self-improvement. Because they feel committed, they communicate more often and make higher-quality decisions. They set high aspirations and respect each other for meeting high standards. They avoid excuses and try self-scrutiny before blaming others. • Collaboration. People want to work together. Mutual attraction is high, interpersonal bonds are strong, and relationships are multifaceted because people take the time to know one another in a variety of settings. People are willing to help others and give them a chance to excel. They feel a sense of belonging that makes them more amenable to taking direction from others. • Initiative. People feel that what they do matters, that they can make a difference in outcomes, so they offer ideas and suggestions. Expectations of success produce the energy to put in extra effort, to keep going under pressure. People take initiative, and initiative results in improvements and innovations.