Why Self Confidence is Key for Effective Leadership

Why Self Confidence is Key for Effective Leadership

The Bottom Line

Low self-confidence can spread like wildfire in the workplace. To prevent this, focus on creating an environment where leaders and employees feel empowered. A confident and empowered organization is a successful one!

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In what situations do you feel most confident? Maybe it’s when you’re around people you trust, or when you’re doing something you enjoy. Now, think about times when your self-confidence is low. You might be in an unfamiliar environment, trying something new, or feeling pressure to perform.

If work came to mind for the latter, you’re not alone. Studies show that work environments are often a source of stress, conflict, and frustration. And, over time, this type of negative atmosphere can erode the self-confidence of everyone on the team – including the owners. In fact, it’s not uncommon for negativity to start at the top contributing to everyone’s dwindling self-confidence, turning into a vicious cycle. For this reason, it’s essential that owners focus on empowerment to build successful, confident organizations.

In his book, ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’, Stephen Covey observed:

“An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success.”

Organizational empowerment cannot be a reality unless leaders feel empowered. Those in leadership positions need to feel confident about their role within the organization, their ability to lead, and their own potential for growth and success.

Empowerment at both the individual and leadership levels can look like:

• Embracing change
• Recognizing employee contributions
• Support among teams
• Shared long-term goals
• Emphasizing collaboration
• Reliability and adaptability
• Taking ownership of work

Among other things, feeling empowered at work can lead to greater job satisfaction, decreased likelihood of burnout and increased empathy between coworkers. All of which has a positive effect on self-confidence.

Next time self-confidence seems to be lacking, empower the team to:

• View failures or setbacks as learning opportunities; how can you change going forward?
• Acknowledge your leadership team’s skills and expertise.
• Focus on the positive; getting you and your team out of negative headspace will drastically change your perspective.
• Ensure everyone is staying current with knowledge or skills; a lack of information can equal a lack of confidence.