Even if luck played a role, top leaders are where they are because of their skills, determination and confidence. But self-confidence is something that many people—including leaders—sometimes struggle with. To help you when your own confidence starts to falter, here are 14 ways you can banish self-doubt:
Practice it until you get it. Make building your confidence into a habit and practice it daily or even hourly. Don’t wait to think about it till you’re feeling vulnerable. The more your inner confidence becomes a habit and a practical skill, the more secure you can be knowing it’s there when you need it.
Establish realistic self-awareness. Knowing your leadership strengths will give you confidence, and facing up to the places where you need more development will help you determine what you need to focus on to get better at what you do.
Make the most of your mistakes, then ignore them. Mistakes are for learning, and only those who have ceased to develop never take a wrong step. Treat mistakes as a source of information and an opportunity for learning.
Limit self-blame. Kicking yourself for past inadequacies gives fuel to self-doubt, so be encouraging with yourself as you would with someone on your team. Blaming yourself is a waste of time that could be spent moving forward with the intention of doing better with each new experience.
Pick a role model. Choose a leader you admire. What qualities do they possess? Which of those qualities do you already have, and which do you need to develop?
Celebrate wins. We’re often so busy getting things done that we hardly take the time to acknowledge our wins. Celebrating accomplishments is a great way to boost your confidence.
Align your mind and body. Pay attention to your body language and your thoughts so they can be aligned and not in conflict.
Own your strengths as well as your weaknesses. So many of us are so busy owning our weakness that we forget to own our strengths—the parts of us that are capable and competent to feel confident about what we do and who we are.
Stretch yourself. Try something outside the scope of what you’ve done before. Stretch your boundaries, go outside your comfort zone. From discomfort comes growth.
Be kind to yourself. Being kind to yourself is an important skill in building a leadership strategy. Issues with self-confidence are often rooted in a bad habit of punishing yourself and withholding rewards. Learn to treat yourself with kindness and your confidence will grow.
Don’t give in to self-doubt. If you’re in a position of leadership, that’s not an accident. Know that you have what it takes to lead well and that others believe in you.
Give yourself credit. A leader is all about making other feel inspired and motivated—but who gives the leader credit and inspiration? If necessary, give it to yourself.
Upgrade your network. A better group of people in your network helps your leadership and builds your confidence as you connect with people who can help you develop.
Help others be more successful. Leadership confidence isn’t just about building your own track record of successes. The essence of leadership is helping others around you become more successful. And when you do, you also help yourself.
Lead from within: Confidence is the key ingredient of smart leadership, but it must be cultivated and development if it doesn’t exist.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
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Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.