4.3.7. Reflection Prompt

Are people confident in your decisions — or cautious around them?

Take a moment to observe not what people say to you, but how they behave around your leadership:

• Do team members take initiative after your decisions, or do they wait for more clarification?
• Do they bring challenges early, or only after problems become urgent?
• Do they ask questions to understand, or to protect themselves?
• Do they act decisively, or do they seek permission before moving forward?

Confidence and caution are not personality responses — they are reactions to the predictability, fairness, and emotional steadiness of your decision-making. People become confident when they can anticipate how you will act. They become cautious when your reactions depend on mood, urgency, or who is involved.

Reflect honestly:

• What behaviors make others feel safe to act after your decisions?
• What behaviors make them hesitate or wait for your approval?

This prompt is not asking whether you intend to build trust — but whether your leadership allows others to think freely, speak openly, and execute boldly.

Confidence is not built through assertiveness.
It is built through consistency.