One Simple Question Anyone Can Ask That Produces a Moment of Clarity

Confusion is about fear and doubt, not intelligence.

Self-doubt makes smart people dumb. 

Doubt and fear are the parents of delay and confusion.

Self-doubt rejects options and makes decisions like a snail, if at all.

Confidence is the mother of clarity. In other words, you must eliminate doubt to find a moment of clarity. This works even if confidence is contrived.

Contrived confidence:

A singular moment of contrived confidence enables people to find real clarity.

During a coaching conversation I asked, “If you didn’t have self-doubt, what would you do?” Without hesitation a five step plan and a one year timeline emerged.

Artificial confidence – just for a moment – enables people to quickly find clarity and easily create plans.

Real decisions:

Plans aren’t decisions.

After generating a plan, you must still choose a next step. That’s when you ask the second question. “What’s the bravest thing you could do today?”

Delay brings doubt to life. Darkness and confusion follow hard on doubt’s heels.

Make a decision that’s small enough to be actionable today. Courage emerges as you move forward, not before.

You might not adopt the entire plan that emerges during a moment of contrived confidence, but do the next bravest thing, even if that brave thing is small.

How might leaders help others find enough confidence generate options and move forward?