Lions and Tigers and Confidence, oh my!
It’s all about confidence on Management Monday
Laugh if you will, but who hasn’t struggled with confidence? Maybe you turned away from that sport you once loved or that hobby that could have been fun, because you didn’t think it was “your strong suit.” What about the promotion at work that you haven’t had the confidence to pursue? Or do you fear damaging relationships due to lack of work life balance? Perhaps you doubt your abilities as a team member. The point is that we’ve all got areas of lacking self-esteem. The real question is how do we overcome and move forward?
Like Wendy’s mission to find the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, this can be a challenging journey. It is about realizing who we are and what we can do. We often underestimate our own capabilities, just as the scarecrow thought he needed a brain, when really he already knew how to think.
5 Confidence Pointers for Professionals:
1. Ask: what is the worst that can happen?
Realistically evaluate potential consequences and remember that you’ve always made it through before.
2. Celebrate and remember accomplishments
As suggested in Psychology Today’s Think Confident, Be Confident, it is important to take mental notes of your success as it boosts morale and motivation.
3. Consider opportunities lost
Without confidence, you can’t take risks. Without risks, you can never achieve innovation. Remember that every failure is a brick in your yellow brick road to success.
4. Focus on your strengths
As mentioned in Forbe’s 10 Ways to be more Confident at Work, you gain empowerment when you perform well.
5. Continue working through your weaknesses
Tackling areas of weakness yields even higher confidence when you succeed.
Confidence is a trick of the mind, but a vital factor in life. It is not a big challenge for all people. But if you struggle to have confidence, you are not alone. There are many factors in life such as burn out, social trials and even lack of experience that cause low self-esteem which negatively impacts confidence. Just as the scarecrow gained confidence by accepting a Diploma from the wizard, it can be helpful for professionals to seek self-development coaching.
