“You cannot disconnect attitude from reality and expect success.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell, from his book, The Difference Maker (p. 18). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Ok, let’s see how this goes.

John, “I have to admit, I haven’t always embraced this view. (A certain sign that we have grown intellectually is that over time our thoughts change.) If you had asked me about the importance of attitude twenty years ago, I’d have said, ‘Your attitude is the only difference between success and failure. You’re only a dream away from success!’ Back then, I thought that if you can believe it, you can achieve it, and all you had to do was make it happen.”

He goes on, “Today I recognize that, while those kinds of statements can motivate you, if you believe that a dream alone can bring success, you will be disappointed. Those statements simply aren’t true. I know many people who have a great attitude yet aren’t successful. Don’t you? When all other things are equal, attitude can be the difference maker, but it alone does not make the difference.

“For example, let’s say two people apply for the same job. One has great skills and natural talent, ten years of experience, and an okay attitude. The other has a great attitude and no experience whatsoever. Who gets the job? Probably the one with the greater skills and experience. Why? Because a great attitude will not make up the gap. However, what if the two job candidates are roughly equal in skill and experience? In that case, the one with the better attitude wins hands down.

“Attitude is the difference maker. It is a plus; it gives an edge. It is an additive, but it is not a substitute.”

He then says, “Some people seem to confuse confidence, which is a function of attitude, with competence, which is a function of ability. Or they believe that one can be substituted for the other. But the two are distinctly different. If you think you can do something, that’s confidence. If you can do it, that’s competence. Both are needed for success. A great attitude can help you personally. It can make you more content, more pleasant to be around, more likely to tackle difficult problems. But it cannot help you positionally. If you don’t have competence in your favor, then you’re going to be in trouble.”

The difference between confidence and competence is a thing to see, isn’t it? 

Yes, yes!