You need great confidence if you want to be a successful leader, writes InPower Consulting President and CEO Dana Theus, who offers five steps to help you boost yours.
- Pick an area you don’t feel confident in. It could be a skill or an area of knowledge.
- Find the edge of your comfort zone. “Just fill in these blanks: I feel confident that I know/can do ____ but I’m not confident I know/can do ____,” Theus writes.
- Think of one thing you can do in the next week that’s just out of that comfort zone. For example, speak up and share your thoughts in a meeting.
- Watch what happens. Pay attention to the feedback you get that confirms you do know what you’re doing and talking about.
- Plan to go further next time. Once you’re back in your comfort zone, reflect on your experience with a focus on what went well. Plan to repeat and do a little more next time.
— Adapted from “How do great leaders get great confidence?“, Dana Theus, SmartBlog on Leadership.
