We have a confidence problem in the world today. Maybe it’s always been there. Either way doesn’t really matter. But, what does matter is that we learn how to overcome it and build leadership confidence.
Our success is counting on it. The success of our companies is counting on it. And, if that doesn’t feel like pressure, I don’t know what does.
The studies show that this is a bigger problem for women then it is men. Hewlett Packard did a study that showed women struggled with doubting their abilities more than men do. Women needed to feel that they were 100% qualified before applying for a position. Men on the other hand only needed to feel they met 60% of the job requirements in order to apply.
As a woman, I can totally relate. But, I also believe that men struggle just as much with confidence, they just hide it a lot better.
Leadership confidence
So, what are we supposed to do about this lack of confidence? You have two options.
- Allow your lack of confidence to hold you back. Stay right where you and just allow yourself to stay in the safety of comfortable.
- Get uncomfortable, learn to build confidence, and grow your success.
That’s really as simple as it is. Although I understand it’s one of those things that’s a lot easier said than done. But, the following tips can help you learn to grow your confidence and abilities as a leader.
1. Study how to be a better leader
Confidence isn’t something you have or you don’t. You can learn to be more confident. In fact, that’s a large part of what our SPEARity executive coaches help people do—grow their confidence to be better leaders.
If you want to feel more confident as a leader, learn how to be a better leader. Study what steps you need to take and then take them. There are multiple ways that you can do this:
- Find a mentor
- Read some books on leadership
- Work with a leadership coach
2. Track your success
If you work with one of our business coaches in Milwaukee then you know how big we are on tracking successes. It’s built right into the SPEARity app to make it easy for you.
Every day, write down three things that were successful at. It doesn’t matter if they were big or small, just write them down. Celebrate every little win that you have. Doing so is going to help you to build up your confidence. And, the more you do it, the easier it will become to spot success in your life.
3. Act like it even if you don’t feel it
You don’t have to feel confident to act confident. Feelings can be fickle and you don’t want them to control your life. If you want to be confident then you need to start acting confident whether you feel it or not.
Eventually, our feelings catch up with our behavior. So, choose to act in the way that you want to be and eventually it’s all going to come together.
4. Learn and accept your weaknesses
You don’t have to have it all together to be a successful leader. The best leaders aren’t the ones that know how to successfully do everything. They’re the ones that know how to surround themselves with the best people for each position.
It’s OK if you aren’t an expert in a certain area of your business. You don’t have to be. Just make sure that you find the right people to work in it. And, don’t feel bad about it.
Part of having confidence is learning how to accept yourself for who you are, weaknesses and all.
5. Build a strong network
Surrounding yourself with the right people can help you have the resources to draw upon when you need it. This can help you to feel confident because even if you don’t know the answer or solution to a problem, you know where you can turn to fix it.
Ready to build your confidence as a leader?
SPEARity coaches want to help you grow and thrive as a leader. One of the biggest struggles that people have when they first reach out to us is a lack of confidence. And, they think that they’re alone in the struggle. Like they’re the only ones feeling that way.
If you’re interested in building your confidence as a leader, contact a SPEARity coach today to discuss your options. We are SPEARity, a local Milwaukee business coaching firm that specializes in executive coaching and leadership development training.
