They focus on becoming better than they were yesterday and don't get sucked into comparing themselves with anyone else. They welcome competition when it presents itself, but view it as an opportunity to push themselves and improve, not as a chance to establish dominance.

Choosing not to decide is still a choice, a corrosive one. Indecision is often born from insecurity, a fear of making the wrong decision and looking bad. Highly confident people don't worry about who's right--they worry about what's right. And if they decide incorrectly, so be it. Onward. Upward....

In fact, highly confident leaders seek it out. They view it as a true gift; the fact that someone is investing the time to help them learn and grow is genuinely appreciated. They know they're far from perfect and embrace the journey of becoming a better version of themselves.

Defensiveness is just another form of blame-dodging--even worse than the above because it often involves not just avoiding blame but redirecting and projecting it onto someone else. Confident people are open-minded about their mistakes and what they could have done better, thus avoiding the need ...

Does anything smack more of insecurity than when someone feels compelled to make it all about themselves all the time?

Excuses are an attempt to dodge accountability and blame. Confident people embrace accountability and don't worry about being blamed. They own their mistakes and command respect accordingly. They don't hide behind circumstances or lack of resources to justify not accomplishing something.

In fact, super confident people seek opportunities to celebrate the success of others. And I've learned the more praise you give away, the more comes back to you.

They don't worry about covering their bases or asses. They focus on what matters and are happy to take criticism for de-prioritizing the rest.

Taking a stand by definition means you'll stand out, which isn't for everyone. But it is for the highly confident, who know that authenticity trumps approval. They want results, not reassurance. If their stand invites dissent, so be it and we're all better for it, say the self-assured.  

Highly confident leaders view adversity as what creates success, not what prevents success. The most confident leader I ever worked for felt she was failing if she didn't fail. She had enough belief in herself to know she was bigger than any mistake she made.

The self-assured don't obsess over whether they're good enough. They know they're good. And that's enough. They don't feel the need to be perfect and beat themselves up when they fall short of perfection. They adopt an acceptance and recovery mindset when they don't succeed.

Conflict brings, well, conflict, and the self-assured are sure-handed in dealing with tension. They even look forward to it, viewing it as a mechanism to quickly get past differences and disagreements to move toward resolution.  

They know that homebuilders need permission to act, but business builders don't. They're not disrespectful of authority. Rather, they're respectful yet autonomous.

So tear down these behaviors to build up the self-confidence you exude.