I don’t think we minimize ourselves because we’re naturally afraid of pressure; I think it’s because we’ve been coached to lead with our worst qualities or to undermine ourselves through caveats: “This may be a stupid question, but…,” “I’m just wondering…,” “Sorry if you’ve thought of this before…,” “I could be wrong, but…” We also rush to point out all our potential shortcomings to others before they’re pointed out on our behalf.
