Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance. – Bruce Barton
Every month, I sit down and coach dozens of entrepreneurial leaders and it still amazes me how insecure we are as a group. We overcome daily challenges to build successful businesses. We take calculated risks which sometime fail but we get back up and put these new lessons to good use. We build networks of powerful relationships, we partner, we sell, we overcome objections, we speak, we listen, we battle and, more so than not, we win. I say, we, because I am one of those entrepreneurial leaders that still finds myself – all too often – in situations where I lack confidence, where I question my ability to perform.
I wonder, Is that our “edge”? Do we need to question our ability in order to be prepared to perform at our highest level? Is this self-criticism just a defense mechanism in case we fail?
What can we do to overcome our lack of confidence and the limits it places on us?
I not only coach and advise others to overcome their gremlins but battle my own as well. A constant work in progress, here is what I am working on…
1) Listen to acknowledgements that you receive – embrace them!
- Do not diminish what others share when it is positive
2) Invest time and energy in a systematic way to your personal development
- If you lack confidence in getting on the dance floor, get dance lessons!
3) Work on being the best you
- Comparing yourself to others puts the focus in a non-actionable place
4) Keep your eyes on your goals not on yourself!
- Make sure your goals are ones that you are passionate about and committed to
5) Be authentic and act in alignment with your values
- Do what is right for you, not what you think others want you to do
6) Ground yourself in reality
- Identify your irrational thinking, combat it, find and apply more realistic ways of interpreting events
The more confidence we display as leaders, the more confidence our teams will have to create a successful and prosperous future!
Where do you lack confidence? Share your gremlins! What do you do to overcome them?