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Joanna Barsh's avatar

It all comes back! I recall interviewing a fascinating media company leader who blurted out that if need be, she could operate on me to save my life! Fortunately, I was not suffering from a heart attack. Sally’s distinction of confidence from overconfidence is wonderful! Women spend far too much time fretting over lack of confidence when the real issue is men (and some women) who exhibit overconfidence and rise up.

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Sally Helgesen's avatar

Thank you Joanna. I'm very glad you were not at risk of a heart attack when you ran into a (fairly rare) overconfident woman! Overconfidence can be dangerous, especially for leaders. But it's a major factor in who gets promoted to leadership.

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Laura Lambert's avatar

As psychologist Scott Plaus notes, “Overconfidence (is) the most pervasive and potentially catastrophic of all the cognitive biases to which human beings fall victim. It has been blamed for lawsuits, strikes, wars, and stock market bubbles and crashes.” - Thinking of this phenomenon as we watch the former President arraigned as he profits from this circus.

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Sally Helgesen's avatar

Indeed. I was thinking how appropriate it was that I'd posted it today. Great to see your name in my inbox, Laura, aka The Lamb.

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