1. Confident people aren’t afraid to be wrong.
Confidence involves taking a stand, but being willing to admit when that position is wrong. Cocky people tend to take a stand and profess that they are correct even when someone else presents evidence to the contrary. Cocky people want to be right; confident people simply want to get the right information.
2. Confident people ask for help.
Confidence doesn’t mean believing that you are superhuman and can do everything by yourself; it means being comfortable enough in your own skin and in your perception of yourself to ask for help without seeing that as a sign of failure. Asking for help is actually a sign of competence because it shows that you know where your expertise ends.
3. They listen.
Cocky people tend to do most of the talking – they brag and share trumped-up stories about their past successes, alleged or actual. Confident people on the other hand, don’t need to waste valuable time convincing others of their worth. They have faith that their worth will show through in their actions and in their work – so they are able to spend time listening to what others have to say. Of course, confidence doesn’t mean being a church mouse, either; confident people don’t hesitate to express themselves when they have something worthwhile to add to the conversation.