Back in Episode 083 (https://www.managingacareer.com/83) I talked about how Imposter Syndrome and Fear of Failure can derail your plans for career advancement.  This week, I'd like to take a deeper dive at Confidence.  Confidence, at it's very basic, is the believe that you will succeed in the current situation.  Confidence is not arrogance; but they can be two side of the same coin.

 

The biggest difference between Confidence and Arrogance is how others react to you and how you treat those around you.  When you are confident, you state your case assertively but with respect.  If you are arrogant, you will come across as dominating and dismissive.  When you are confident, your believe in success can encourage those around you and lead them to want to help.  Being arrogant, though, can alienate others when you act superior to them.

 

So, how does confidence help when it comes to your career?

• Being confident makes you a better speaker.  When you believe in what you are saying, it comes across to those you are speaking to.  Your confidence will help you make your point stronger.
• When you are confident, you are focused on the final success and will not be hampered by small challenges along the way.  Continued confidence in everything you do will have others considering you to be a "winner".
• As I mentioned earlier, being confident can inspire those around you.  This type of inspiration will have others viewing you as a leader because most people want to follow proven winners.
• You confidence will also bring you bigger opportunities.  When you are able to work through any challenges you face and still drive to success, you will gain the trust of your leaders.  This trust will lead to those coveted higher-level assignments that eventually lead to promotion.

 

Some people have what seems to be a natural confidence.  You may even think that they were born with that confidence.  But, in reality, confidence is a lot like compound interest.  When you have a small success, you gain some confidence, which helps you have more success, which leads to more confidence, which leads to more success, and so on and so forth.  When someone seems to be naturally confident, it is just that you are seeing them so far past their initial, awkward phase.  If you find yourself in a situation where you don't have confidence, as I said in the episode on Imposter Syndrome, set as small of a goal as you can; make success almost a guaranteed outcome.  Your confidence will build and grow much like a snowball rolling down a hill.

 

Beyond starting with small wins, another confidence building technique is to practice self-affirmation.  A negative mindset can erode your confidence.  When you find yourself doubting your ability to succeed, you need to act quickly to change your mindset.  Make positive statements about yourself, out loud if possible.  As you make these statements, take a "superhero pose".  You'll be surprised how just holding a powerful pose for a few minutes can boost your confidence.

• Start by focusing on the things you KNOW you are capable of and focus on those positive aspects.  Confidence builds on other confidence, so by going back to the basics, you are starting the seed of your confidence snowball.
• Next, look at the skills that you are building.  Focus on how proud you are of the growth you've already made.  Make positive, affirming statements about the continued growth you will experience.  These statements should be along the lines of "I *will* successfully learn……" and then name the skill.
• Lastly, take the negative thoughts that you have and reframe them into statements of opportunity.  Instead of saying "I _can't_" or "I'm not good at" say "Even though I do not currently have the ability, I can learn".

 

Another way to build confidence is to reach out to your mentors and leaders to ask for constructive feedback.  They can help you identify the things you are good at (the beginning of your confidence snowball) and how those strengths are positive for the team.  This assessment can be a big confidence boost.  They can also help you plan your next areas of growth.  Competence builds confidence; the stronger you are in particular skill, the more confident you will be when using the skill.  Never stop learning and refining your abilities.

 

 

Where are you in your confidence journey?  Are you just starting or have you already banked some successes?  Regardless of where you are, a career coach can help you build your confidence.  If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the  Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/).  I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching.  If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.