Confidence is often treated as one of the key determining factors from hiring to promoting employees. Is it time to stretch our imagination to reevaluate our confidence addiction? Let me contest one specific element of confidence-articulation and presentation
skill.

If our everyday life experiences shape who we are, how does the life experiences of women, people of colour, queer people and other marginalized groups impact their art of articulation and presentation skills? If I am a white, able-bodied, anglophone, heterosexual male; chances are higher that I haven’t had to go through experiences of discrimination for embodying these attributes. But, it is well-known that the absence of these attributes can result in discrimination. Now I invite us to imagine if we judge someone’s presentation skills, do we take the above-mentioned attributes into consideration.

It is a research-backed well-known fact, women don’t put their hand up for promotions despite having the competence. Research shows women leaders are better listeners, compassionate, and lead with integrity comparing to their male counterpart. Yet few women are in the leadership roles in most companies, and I will argue, many women are not given their due position “for lacking confidence.” I will leave the readers with the question: should we prioritize confidence over competence? If you go through experiences of delegitimization; if you are silenced regularly; if you are subject to discrimination; will it not plunge you in self-doubt.