Confidence Breeds Confidence

In my last post, I talked about developing your people, and today’s principle is one of the ways in which you can do that. This is likely the most intangible principle. It’s the hardest to measure, but it also can have the one of greatest impacts on your organization.

As leaders, our teams are looking for us to be consistent, but they’re also looking to us for confidence. When something goes wrong, they’re going to look at us to see how we react. If we react poorly, they’ll react poorly. They’re looking to see how we carry ourselves during times of crisis and during times of success.

So, how do you ensure you always have your best foot forward, even during high-stress times?

The most important thing to remember in leading confidently is to be an “actor.” Being an actor, in this instance, means portraying confidence no matter the situation. As the leader, you set the vision and tone for every initiative and season. When you find yourself unsure of how to muster confidence in high-pressure situations, tell yourself “I’m an actor. People are looking to me for guidance and reassurance.”

While exhibiting confidence shouldn’t ever sacrifice your authenticity or honesty, it will, at times,  mean stretching yourself to step up to the plate and put on a brave face for your team when they need you. This is a balancing act. If your team senses inauthenticity, they will begin to lose trust. Navigating this fine line is one of the greatest challenges facing leaders.

How To Lead With Confidence:

One of the most practical ways to lead confidently is to actively participate in meetings, whether the meeting is onsite or remote. Keep your camera and microphone on during virtual meetings, ask questions, and remain engaged. Having a strong presence through heavy decisions reminds your team that they are supported and aligned with the vision you’re creating for them.

Being present in person may mean having an open-door policy, popping in to say hi to different teams throughout the week, or again, simply being present and active in meetings. 

Also, remember that body language is one of the strongest forms of communication. If you have a tendency to wear your emotions on your sleeve, practice finding a way to calm yourself before important meetings to ensure you show up exuding confidence.

Leadership 101: Stay Cool, Calm, and Collected

The consequence of lacking confidence as a leader is that people will lose faith in you. They won’t believe that what you, your team, or your organization is doing is actually working. Once you lose your team’s faith, you lose their investment in your mission, which is detrimental to your culture and your outcomes. 

One of my favorite quotes paraphrased is - if you can be a VP of one thing, you can be the VP of anything. Of course, there are exceptions based on skill, but if you’ve led one department, you can lead any department. Skills and job knowledge can be learned, but if you’ve figured out the mindset and practices necessary to lead people and create effective processes in one area, you can learn how to repeat it. It all comes down to confidence. If you’re confident, your team will be, too. If your team is confident, they will drive results, moving your mission farther.

MT

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