If you want to be a good leader or a boss, you need to be aware of yourself, first. Self-awareness is the starting point on the road to self-improvement and growth in your professional role. Confidence is one of the traits many successful leaders possess. It’s the belief in your own capabilities, skills, and qualities that make a leader seem and feel confident. If you struggle with confidence and feel like you can get better at it as a leader, these tips will help you reach your goal.
Perfect your listening skills
If you want to build trustworthy relationships with your team and colleagues, you need to know how to listen. In turn, by showing compassion, empathy and genuine interest, you’ll show that you are confident in your leadership skills and that you’ll make unbiased decisions. Further, the knowledge you gather just by listening to your employees will show you areas of improvement in your business and other solutions that lead to success.
Recognition
Confident leaders look for others and celebrate their wins and milestones. Everyone should be recognised for the unique set of skills and abilities they bring to the table. Everyone should receive recognition regularly, while exceptional achievements should be celebrated. This will show your employees that you value them and in turn motivate them to do the work continuously. Leadership is not about focusing on weaknesses and imperfections. A confident boss knows how to build others and praise them for their effort. This will also boost others self-esteem and create a positive work culture.
Build a support network
Having someone to turn to who is in the same position as yourself, can provide different insights, teach from experience and share knowledge. Polish your networking skills and build a support network. Once you find someone you trust or multiple people, you can learn about successful leadership practices that improve your leadership confidence.
Turn your weaknesses into strengths
First, you have to identify the areas you struggle with. Let’s say that these are your weaknesses that threaten to become your weak spots. With the help of leadership coaching, you can eliminate your blind spots and learn how to amplify your strengths to be more effective as a leader and confidant.
You can also learn how to turn a weakness into a strength and further improve your skills as a leader. During leadership coaching, you’ll get the necessary feedback that will help you better yourself.
Stretch your comfort zone
If you want to stay competitive, knowledgeable and build your confidence, you need to stretch your comfort zone a bit. Or, step out of it completely once in a while. This doesn’t mean that you should force yourself out of character in order to build your confidence. On the contrary, you should embrace every new experience and opportunity as a chance to grow.
Look the part
Start by defining how a confident boss looks like. How does this person dress? How do they present themselves to the world? What about their posture or facial expression? These are just some of the questions that will help you build your confident style. So, dress the part and look like a confident boss. By paying attention to your physical appearance, you don’t just buy expensive clothes. You also learn about your non-verbal communication and the message it sends. Pay attention to your posture, your smile, whether you make eye contact or not, your handshake and the way you dress. Clothes can help us feel confident, so embrace the habit of power-dressing.
Learn how to accept your own mistakes
We all make mistakes. It’s part of our growing experience. So, when you make a mistake, learn how to be compassionate with yourself. Any negative self-talk can lower your confidence and it’s up to you to recognise the negative thought loop. We all have a negative inner critic, but it doesn’t mean we should listen to it. If you make a mistake, learn from it. The same goes for members of your team wh make a mistake. It’s not about scolding a person. It’s about taking responsibility and discussing how a person can learn from it and avoid the same steps in the future.
Lastly, don’t forget the importance of a work-life balance. Leaders who lead with great confidence prioritise other aspects of their lives besides their professional life. This leads to greater team satisfaction and positive morale around the office.
