Confidence

I can remember when someone asked me where my confidence came from. I thought for a moment and realized that a lot of it comes from discipline, and from having a firm foundation. My father always told me “Know everything you can about what you’re doing”-- in other words, cover your bases, be thorough. This sounds very simple but it was a very good advice that I have followed and it has obviously worked.
Another thing about being thorough is that it can eliminate any potential blind spots from the big picture. It can give you an edge and this too involves discipline--it takes time, effort and focus to be comprehensive. A good question to ask yourself is “What am I pretending not to see?” As an example, I held negotiations with people who failed to take into account how a 72 story skyscraper would be supported without the steel columns because they were so excited about building a public atrium similar to the one in Trump Tower. That’s a major blind spot that should have been addressed before our meeting. Being on shaky ground took on a new meaning after that meeting.Preparation is a discipline that will open the door to confidence more quickly than you might imagine. We all know the feeling of having studied enough to max an exam, or to give a great presentation or speech. Many things can happen that are out of our control, but being prepared can definitely set you up in the right direction for success.
Donald Trump