Too many successful and highly capable women lack a certain boldness, a faith in their abilities. They have a desire to contribute more, they know they can make a greater impact and yet they are opting out of the workplace and avoiding the highest levels of our organizations.
As I reflect on my 25 year career in corporate America I’ve come to realize that each milestone career move required me to have self-confidence. All the position changes that helped move me up the ladder or increase my influence and position all required me to take a risk and believe in myself. Not one time was I fully prepared or had all the knowledge to excel. I had to trust in my own abilities to figure out the next step and ultimately grow. I had to be willing to bet on myself, to opt in and opt up.
The good news - you can develop confidence - you aren’t actually born with it!
Let’s quick define Confidence and Self-Confidence:
Confidence: You have experiences that prove you can do something.
Self Confidence: Belief in yourself without past experience or proof.
You need self-confidence to develop confidence. And that’s the good news because you have everything you need to use your self-confidence, create confidence and ultimately accomplish and achieve all the things…..land the key client account, deliver on the big project or get the next promotion.
It gets even better! The beauty of confidence is it's circular. The more you use your self-confidence to grow by doing, sometimes failing, learning and keep moving forward the more confidence you develop!
Here are the 4 steps to building confidence:
Mindset - manage and change your mindset, talk to yourself like you would your best friend
Authentic self - drop the perfectionism, people pleasing, fear of failing and lean in as your true self
Action - try new things, be willing to stumble, sometimes fail, learn and keep going
Pass it on! - our world would be such a better place if our companies, our leaders and our daughters lived into their self-confidence
We are on a mission to help women leaders close the gap between who they are on the inside and how they show up on the outside - to help them show up more authentically, powerfully, and aligned in their daily lives.
We believe that women deserve a seat at the table, a table they have a part in defining.
It starts here, it starts with you.