Strategic Mental Health Training, Confidence Doesn't Equal Competence, and Mistakes Failing to Teach

Cognicent | 29, May, 2025 | Newsletter

Welcome to the May edition of our Insight Articles!

This edition unpacks the gap between what we think drives success and what the research actually shows. From why training leaders in mental health delivers measurable business benefits, to how confident voices in the room aren’t always the most competent, to the surprising truth about failure and why it often fails to teach. These studies take a look at some of our most persistent workplace assumptions. 

It’s widely accepted that when we treat our teams well, performance tends to improve. But what specific knowledge or training helps unlock these performance benefits?

A large-scale study conducted between 2020 and 2023, involving several thousand companies across England, investigated whether mental health training for line managers could positively impact organisational outcomes. The findings were compelling. When line managers received mental health training, the organisations reported:

1. Lower levels of long-term mental health-related staff leave.

2. Improved overall business performance.

3. Higher levels of customer service.

4. Better staff recruitment and retention.

The researchers concluded that upskilling line managers in mental health, combined with clear policies outlining their responsibilities in supporting employee wellbeing, could deliver measurable benefits for both employees and the wider organisation.

This research suggests that investing in leadership capability, particularly in understanding and responding to mental health, isn’t just good practice – it may be a strategic advantage.

Consider:

Do your leaders have the knowledge and confidence to support mental health in a way that strengthens performance and retention?

Article Reference:

Hassard, J., Dulal-Arthur, T., Bourke, J., Wishart, M., Roper, S., Belt, V., Leka, S., Pahl, N., Bartle, C., Thomson, L., & Blake, H. (2024). The relationship between line manager training in mental health and organisational outcomes. PLOS ONE, 19(7), e0306065. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306065

In psychology, the Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where individuals with low ability tend to overestimate their competence. A recent study by researchers at the University of Kent’s School of Psychology explored a related question: do socially dominant individuals also tend to overestimate their decision-making abilities?

Their findings offer some thought-provoking insights:

1. Social dominance levels were similar across genders, challenging the common assumption that dominance is predominantly a male trait.

2. Socially dominant individuals often hold higher status within group hierarchies.

3. Despite their confidence, these individuals did not demonstrate more accurate or competent decision-making.

4. Crucially, social dominance remains an effective strategy for gaining influence, regardless of actual ability.

These findings are a reminder that confidence and competence are not always aligned. In workplace settings, socially dominant individuals may be perceived as capable leaders or experts, even when their decisions don’t hold up under scrutiny.

Consider:

Can you think of situations in your workplace where the most dominant voice influenced the decision – even if they weren’t the most informed?

What mechanisms could help ensure the best ideas rise to the top, not just the loudest ones?

Article Reference:

Belotelova, A., & Martin, A. K. (2025). Confidence does not equal competence: Socially dominant individuals are more confident in their decisions without being more accurate. Personality and Individual Differences, 236, 113037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.113037

We often tell ourselves that failure is the best teacher. Phrases like “You either win or you learn” or “Failure is the steppingstone to success” are common mantras in workplaces and coaching circles. But does failure reliably lead to learning?

A recent study, involving over 1,800 participants across 11 experiments, suggests this assumption may be more optimistic than accurate. Researchers found that people tend to overestimate how often failure leads to improvement.

Key findings included:

1. People expect success to follow failure more frequently than it actually does.

2. We often conflate what we want to happen with what actually happens.

3. Many people do not engage in learning after failure because it feels demotivating and threatens their sense of self.

For example, participants in one experiment significantly overestimated the likelihood of professionals such as nurses, teachers and lawyers passing a licensing exam after a failed attempt. In another, they overpredicted how many heart patients would commit to healthier lifestyles following a cardiac event.

The takeaway? While encouraging people after failure may feel kind in the moment, relying on failure alone as a learning tool can be misleading and counterproductive.

Consider:

In your teams, do you assume people will learn from their mistakes? What might that assumption overlook?

How might you better support individuals to reflect, recover and improve after a setback?

Article Reference:

Eskreis-Winkler, L., Woolley, K., Erensoy, E., & Kim, M. (2024). The exaggerated benefits of failure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001610

We hope that you have a safe, well and productive rest of your week.

– The Cognicent Team