Neuroscientist and psychologist Ian Robertson joins Business Builders to unpack what confidence really is, how it shapes success, and why it can quietly turn against the very people it helps elevate.
Ian is Emeritus Professor at Trinity College, Dublin and author of two best-selling books:
How Confidence Works: the new science of self-belief. Penguin
The Winner Effect: the science of success and how to use it. Bloomsbury
Rather than treating confidence as optimism or self-belief, Ian explains it as a brain-based mechanism; one that drives action, motivation, mood, influence, and decision-making. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, sport, leadership, and real-world examples, he shows how confidence compounds through small wins, why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, and how it can distort judgment as success accumulates.
The conversation also explores the dark side of confidence: how overconfidence becomes addictive, why it mirrors the effects of power on the brain, and how leaders, founders, and public figures can lose self-awareness as dopamine, status, and success reinforce one another. Ian draws a sharp distinction between intrinsic goals, wanting to be good at what you do, and extrinsic goals like money, status, and beating competitors, explaining why one builds resilience while the other undermines judgment and mental health.
This episode is a deep, practical look at confidence as a tool, one that can build extraordinary momentum if used well, and cause serious damage if misunderstood.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
– What confidence actually is (and what it isn’t)
– Why confidence drives action despite uncertainty
– How the “winner effect” compounds success
– Why manifesting big goals can backfire
– How intrinsic vs extrinsic goals shape motivation
– Why overconfidence distorts judgment and risk perception
– How power and success affect the brain
– Why failure is a better teacher than success
– How confidence shapes leadership, parenting, and aging
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – What confidence really is
01:30 – Confidence vs self-esteem and optimism
03:50 – Confidence as a self-fulfilling prophecy
05:10 – The winner effect and compounding success
06:40 – Why confidence creates widening gaps over time
07:05 – Why big fantasy goals often fail
08:45 – Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
10:00 – Confidence as the bridge across uncertainty
11:20 – Confidence vs anxiety
12:30 – Confidence as a natural antidepressant
13:55 – Why confidence increases influence and persuasion
15:00 – When confidence becomes dangerous
16:40 – Overconfidence, luck, and distorted self-belief
18:00 – Power, narcissism, and loss of self-awareness
19:30 – Why extrinsic success becomes addictive
20:00 – The limits of “manifesting”
21:00 – Olympic failure and rebuilding confidence through process
23:20 – Why Ian became fascinated by confidence
24:30 – Why confidence matters so much in childhood
26:00 – Anxiety, avoidance, and learning
27:40 – Parenting, risk, and emotional robustness
29:40 – Why failure builds better founders
31:00 – Experience, learning, and explaining complex ideas
32:45 – Self-awa
