When I look at great leaders across various industries, one thing stands out. Confidence.

It’s easy to look at leaders who seem confident and assume that they never experienced the same doubts and worries that you are. But most leaders lack confidence at times, even the ones who seem invincible.

So how can you overcome your doubts about your leadership abilities?

Here are 5 ways to start feeling more confident as a leader.

1.      Learn what makes you tick

Your personal values have a big role to play in who you are. As a person and as a leader, your values are at the core of everything you do. We all have them, but we rarely take the time to stop and identify what they are.

Take the time to reflect on what your values are, so that you can learn what inspires you and what you stand for. 

“When you know your values, it’s easier to feel motivated and focus your efforts on what matters to you.”

Another way is to reflect on what you love doing and where you get your energy. These tasks are likely to bring you joy, as you’ll be using your strengths, and feel connected to the overall goal.

When you’re clearer on your values and strengths, you can focus on what you’re good at, and in turn, this will boost your confidence as a leader.

2.      Adopt a power stance

Your body language can have a powerful effect on how you feel. The simple act of smiling tricks you into feeling happier. This works even if you fake it. Standing tall and making eye contact tricks you into feeling a little more confident.

We’re often not very aware of our body language in any given moment but it can have a huge impact. The next time you need a little extra confidence try out Amy Cuddy’s Power Pose. You’ll look and feel instantly more confident.

Image: Erik (HASH) Hersman

3.      Focus on your successes

It’s very easy to get bogged down going over what you’ve not done, not achieved and your failings. People often naturally concentrate on what went wrong, instead of what went right. While it’s important to learn lessons from your failures, there’s no benefit to dwelling on them and not making any changes.

Focusing on what you’ve done well makes you feel more positive and confident about your abilities. The more you focus on the positives, the easier it will be for you to spot them.

Take some time at the end of each day to reflect on what went well. Just five minutes a day reflecting on your successes can give you a big confidence boost as a leader.

4.      Stop comparing yourself to others

In today’s social-media heavy world it’s so easy to compare yourself to others. But focusing on what others are doing takes your attention away from what you are doing. Comparing ourselves too often with other people means we lose focus on our own goals and achievements.

It’s much better to focus on your goals and how you can be the best leader possible. After all, you can only change your own behaviour, not others!

There’s nothing wrong with admiring other leaders or having role models. However, it’s important to make sure that you’re not engaging in unhealthy comparisons.

5.      Build a network of support

Nothing boosts your confidence like having a support network of people who believe in you. Seek out like-minded peers and colleagues who will cheer you on.

If you’re attending what you perceive to be a difficult meeting, it’s a good confidence boost to have supportive people present. You’ll be more comfortable with people there that you know will support your ideas.

Your network can also give you valuable feedback about your strengths and how you can build on any weaknesses. Having supportive people that cheer you on to improve will increase your confidence even further.

Believing in yourself, is one of the areas that leaders struggle the most with. I speak to many leaders each day, who overthink every situation. They doubt themselves and quickly lose the respect of others – all because they don’t believe in themselves!

Are you ready to overcome your doubts about your leadership abilities and start feeling more confident as a leader? 

I appreciate your time and engagement in reading this post. As you’ll know, I’m on a mission to empower individuals like you to thrive in your personal and leadership journey. My work is fuelled by your support, so if you found this blog post valuable and would like to support my efforts in creating more content like this, consider buying me a coffee – every cup counts!