Historians say that the mere presence of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French ruler, at the head of his army on the battlefield was worth the equivalent of 40,000 additional soldiers.
This stemmed from the combination of —
1. The French soldier’s confidence boost from having Napoleon out in front.
2. The intimidation factor in the mind of the opposing general, knowing Napoleon’s reputation for winning battles.
3. Napoleon’s actual skill in producing the desired result for the French side.
There was a good reason for this: Napoleon was damn good. Many historians peg Napoleon as The Greatest General in History the way basketball fans name Michael Jordan as The Best in hoops.
When someone wins in any type of competition — sports, business, interpersonal — people pay inordinate attention to the physical resources at play.
How much money did Company X spend on advertising?
How tall is Basketball Player Y?
How many years of experience does Person Z have?
What tactics did Napoleon use in battle?
These things do matter. But, if everyone were to have the same physical resources as the winners, most of “everyone” would still never win.
That’s because resources are tools. And tools are only as useful as the craftsperson who wields the tool.
That’s why Tiger Woods dominated golf for so many years. Yes, he was very good at golf, but so was every other PGA Tour pro.
Tiger’s presence disturbed their minds.
When Tiger got injured, started winning less often and showed signs of slippage, everyone else’s confidence rose. Results changed a lot, but those other golfers hadn’t gotten any better, and Tiger had not gotten worse.
Their mentalities had changed.
Look at areas of your life where you know you have the skills to do well. There are likely some areas in which you’re doing great, and other areas where you struggle, even though you’re well-equipped for both.
What’s the difference?
It’s your belief: in your plans, your execution, in the expectation that when it’s going wrong, you’ll eventually make it right.
Belief enhances and even creates the abilities of a tool, the way Napoleon’s presence enhanced the formidability of the French Army.
A lack of belief dilutes the potency of a tool.
I wrote my book The Super You to help you unlock and live with your highest possible level of self-confidence, which means your presence will enhance the ability of anyone you touch.
Get The Super You as part of the 4-book Bulletproof Bundle here: http://WorkOnMyGame.com/BB
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