Five Ways Leaders Build Confidence

“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.” – Willliam Jennings Bryan

Successful leaders know that true confidence requires consistent attention to managing themselves well in many situations. Leaders with confidence tend to build success in themselves and others wherever they go. This confidence is not fake; it is real, authentic, and genuine. This is what attracts others to follow.

Here are five ways to strengthen your confidence and grow it in others:

Face Your Fears

Look fear in the eye and identify what it is saying to you. Define whether it may have any truth or insight given the situation, and then move forward. Leaders are not afraid to say they have fear; they just don’t use it as a reason to stay stuck. This is the foundation of their authentic confidence.

Build Bridges to Build Confidence

The ability to focus on collaboration vs what others are thinking creates positive forward movement and will build confidence in everyone involved. Seek cooperation and alliances with others to achieve a common objective. Develop the ability to work with all different types of people by building common ground, identifying shared goals, and collaborating for success. Successful leaders focus their attention on the best outcomes for all and work towards those goals rather than being concerned with what others are thinking about them.

Take Action

Thinking is one side of the equation, putting your ideas in motion is the other. All great ideas come from experience, the willingness to try, and the insight that if you don’t do something then you are doing nothing. This boldness to do creates confidence when thought becomes action.

Imagine and Question

Confident people have the innate ability to start conversations with “I am curious, I wonder, or how could we?” This ability to be an explorer ignites others to do the same. People gravitate to leaders who are willing to play in the field of ideas to unleash fresh thinking for all. Leaders who do this are confident in engaging in conversations that go beyond their knowledge zone and allow others to take it to new and bold results.

Keep Moving Forward

Keep doing and trying new things. Don’t look for permission from others to move in a positive direction of growth for yourself or others. Instead of being frozen in fear, know the power of growth, leadership, life, and fun is to keep in the stream of experience and move yourself and others forward. It is this zest for life that attracts others to be engaged with you.

“It’s a dead-end street if you sit around waiting for someone else to tell you you’re okay.”
– Michael Pitt

Confident leaders don’t focus on what is wrong with a situation or why things aren’t being done their way. They focus on how to move things forward in a way that would be creative and ennobling for others. This practice builds confidence in leaders to go into any situation with the understanding they can connect with others to find a better way.

By practicing the five areas above, you can confidently enter any arena because you can rest in your humanity