TBD 78: Don't Fake It 'til You Make It.

😎 Build your confidence

This is the second in five part series on Leadership Presence. Over the coming weeks, I'll dive into defining Leadership Presence as Confidence, Authenticity, Gravitas and Charisma. Sharing the definitions and practical ways you can practice building your skills in each area. 

“I just want to be more confident at work.” 

That makes sense. I hear this a lot in my coaching practice. If you truly want to lead, confidence in yourself inspires trust from others. We might try to “fake it before you make it” by puffing ourselves up or bluffing to appear more confident than we are. A fine approach, I suppose, but it takes a looooot of energy…and how long do you plan to fake it?

Confidence is simply knowing you are capable of doing the thing you set out to do. That’s it. 

So, how do we build that mindset?

Here are five ways you could cultivate more leadership confidence. 

By the way, these steps aren’t mind-blowing - you’ve probably heard many of them in various forms before, but have you put them into practice? Are you actively practicing being more confident with goals to measure your progress?

So often, that’s a missing step. We know but we don’t do. More information isn't the answer. Practice is the path. Finding support through a peer with similar goals, a mentor or a coach can make a world of difference. 

1. Learn to be a Beginner:
Invest in opportunities to build your leadership skills. By looking for opportunities to learn, we put ourselves into beginners mindset. We can be open to new ideas and approaches that were out of our comfort zone. Attend workshops, seminars, or training programs that focus on leadership development. Take on new projects or responsibilities that challenge you to step into a leadership role. By expanding your knowledge and honing your skills, you'll want an opportunity to practice new things you've learned.

2. Get Insight from your Heroes:
Cultivate relationships with colleagues who inspire you or demonstrate leadership qualities you admire.  Seek their guidance to gain insights and advice on leadership challenges. Engage in open conversations, ask for feedback, and learn from their experiences. Be vulnerable. Even a simple direct conversation can be a big help, “I’ve admired your ability to X. How did you develop that?” 

3. Failure Happens. Embrace It:
Failure is an inevitable part of leadership. Analyze what went wrong, identify areas for improvement, and adapt your approach accordingly. Embracing failure with a growth mindset allows you to view setbacks as learning...a necessary step toward success. A growth mindset builds your resilience along the way.

4. Set Clear Goals and Track All Progress:
Setting goals is a pretty common tactic, but breaking down larger goals into smaller, achievable milestones can help us build more excitement as we track steps to our accomplishment. Celebrate your successes along the way, no matter how small they may seem to train your brain to understand that you are capable and succeeding. (I was impressed when an introverted colleague told me they set a goal to talk twice in an intimidating group meeting. It may not sound like much, but we build confidence by saying we'll do something an accomplishing said thing.)

5. Communicate Effectively:
Effective communication is a vital leadership skill. Practice three parts of communication: active listening, articulating your thoughts clearly, and asking for feedback. Effective communication helps you build safety, and trust in your leadership. Strong, trusted communication allows you the confidence to share more ideas, make suggestions, or ask more questions.

Remember, building leadership confidence is an ongoing process. Recognize your accomplishments and notice when and where you're feeling more comfortable as you practice. Behaving in a new way or a new role is uncomfortable at first, so take a deep breath and jump in. 

As a coach, I talk with my clients about this any many other topics.
I’m currently offering:

Individualized 1:1 sessions: work with me to develop leadership and communication skills.

Group coaching opportunity via RETHINK: develop your network, and experience my coaching in a friendly small group.