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What you can do to build confidence

Build your confidence by challenging yourself. Here are 3 questions to help you.

3 min read

Careers

What you can do to build confidence

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Why do you need confidence?

Here’s what Katty Kay and Claire Shipman write in their book, “The Confidence Code for Girls”: “Confidence is what you use to help you do anything that seems hard, scary, or impossible. … Confidence is what gives you a boost for everyday challenges as well.”

While that advice may be intended for girls age 8 to 14, it’s equally applicable to all of us, no matter our gender or our age.

If you want to improve your confidence, says Kay, you need to push yourself. Such an approach could be useful to managers. While overconfidence is an issue for some people in authority, getting into a position of authority requires that you manifest a sense of confidence.

Confidence comes from a sense of accomplishment — all that you have accomplished in your life and career.  If you want to succeed further you will need to learn to accept new challenges.

Here are three questions you can ask yourself about confidence.

  1. What do I want to achieve next? Focus on a goal that you want to accomplish. Consider what you will do to achieve it. Analyze the steps you will take to achieving your goal.
  2. What will I do if I encounter resistance? Plan ahead for challenges. Consider how you will face them. Do not underestimate your ability. Know in advance where to find help.
  3. What do I expect to learn about myself? Achieving a goal will be worthwhile, but so too, will be what you learn from the effort.

Confidence is rooted in accomplishment, but it grows through risk and failure, and the will to persevere.

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized leadership educator and executive coach. In 2018, Trust Across America honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Trust. Also in 2018, Inc.com named Baldoni a Top 100 Leadership Speaker. In 2019, Global Gurus ranked him No. 9 on its list of top 30 global experts, a list he has been on since 2007. In 2014, Inc.com named Baldoni to its list of top 50 leadership experts. Baldoni is the author of 14 books, including“MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership” and his newest, “GRACE: A Leader’s Guide to a Better Us.” Learn more about why he wrote “GRACE” in this short video.

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