Confidence and Control in Business via Improv

High-wire artist Philippe Petit between the Twin Towers in 1974.

'Control' is an interesting concept. Are you 'in control'? Do you feel 'out of control'?

Recently I let go of my grip on social media. Essentially, I stopped posting – and I was barely looking at any of it.

I guess I 'lost control'. I suppose I could say that I 'found freedom'. Or was it that I 'gave up an addiction'? Hey - maybe I 'took charge of my choices'.

I definitely stepped away deliberately (but without deliberation) – both rashly and rationally... and simultaneously felt both terrible and elated.

Either way, in my head I called it a digital detox and I took six weeks off.

It's led me to want to talk about control and confidence. You might think that, generally, either: a) you're a better person if you've got everything locked down, or b) you're a better person if you 'go with the flow' or are more 'easy-going'.

I think it's both and yet even more complicated than that. Confidence and control – without being controlling – is a hard balance to strike. Feeling relaxed and comfortable with failure is key.

Whatever the situation, whether you have internal doubts (you're scared, you're underprepared) or there are external factors (you're thrown in at the deep end, you're vibed out by others), there's a sweet spot; a balance; between control and confidence, where you're happy to take charge and you're also cool with whatever goes down.

When confidence and control are hand in hand, you honestly don't mind what curve balls come your way. As an extremely experienced improviser, I know this as a fact. I call it 'Relaxed Control' and it’s key. Feeling happy high status. Being prepared to Follow the Follower. It's a cliché, but it's basically it's when you 'feel the fear and do it anyway', without your ego battling you for the remote.

With luck (and not too much self-justification or defensiveness), the right balance of control and confidence means you'll swerve a debilitating mish-mash of controlling behaviour, bravado, bullsh*t and avoidance.

Oh, and if you haven't read the book or seen the film: Man on Wire, seek it out. It's a masterclass in how not to give a f*** and yet also, simultaneously, give ALL the f***s. Philippe Petit, I salute you.

#confidencetips #empoweringwomeninbusiness #improvisationskills