Competent vs Complacent

This is a good tagline: Be competent, not complacent!

[Quoting dictionary.com] Complacent means pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.

From my point of view, complacency results in stagnancy. A complacent person will tend to stay the same for a period of time, whether long or short without much improvement or achievement and will still think that it is alright to be so. I think, they are less stressful because they may not always be driven or convinced by the need to be motivated to get things done.

[Quoting dictionary.com] Competent means having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose; properly qualified.

From my point of view, competency produces the driving force to brave through and solve problems and a strong determination to get things done. Competent persons are mostly high achievers or perfectionists, depending on the 'severity' of the competency level. They are always motivated to achieve more and more things. Success and recognition, literally or verbally, are the greatest rewards to them for their dedication.

Ahhh... human beings are funny. When a complacent person is co-working with a competent person, or vice versa, both will have a 'good' time. All kinds of situation may arise. According to my principles, of which I practice strongly, the competent one should be dominant to control certain situations from going out of hand. However, dominance produces sarcasm and psychological corrections, hoping that complacency will be eliminated once and for all from suffocating the working environment. Until now, I'm still trying real hard to tone down my sarcasm. The more stressed out I am, the more sarcastic I become and the more I look down on those who just can't catch up with the lowest standard that I've set.

I do feel bad. My quick tongue and mind work so well to betray me. I've always tried to maintain a calm composure when I realize shit happens. Even if my mouth is tightly shut, my mind is racing with all kinds of thoughts and not long after that, some sarcastic liners will appear somewhere.

Then, I was very much helped by this advice. Don't scold; mentor. Scolding, everyone can do; mentoring, not everyone can. This is what leadership is all about.

I've a long way to go.