How to be more confident at work
And spoiler alert, it's not about shouting the loudest...
Do you know the number one thing that holds most people back from being the leaders they know they can be in their career?
It's confidence.
Confidence is one of the things I'm asked about the most as a leadership and careers coach and it's something I get a lot of feedback on personally. People see my confidence (especially on TikTok!) and they want to know how I got it!
They are sometimes surprised when I tell them that it wasn't always this way for me. I wasn't always a confident leader and it held me back in my career until I realised there were some very practical steps I could take to change how I felt about myself, my ability and the way I presented myself professionally.
One of the very first things I did was think about what "confidence" really meant to me, as a woman and a mother in the workplace. I don't subscribe to the theory that confidence can only mean one thing, and it DEFINITELY doesn’t have to be a stereotypical version of it - think loud and pushy and not necessarily listening to what other people have to say!
When I started out in my corporate career I was surrounded by people like this and I am an introvert, so I didn't naturally gravitate towards that style of leadership. I let it really get inside my head and thought "if only I could be like that person... if only I could be as talkative as that person, as loud as that person, then I would be a good leader too."
What really helped me was the realisation (with the help of my coach at the time), that confidence came in all different shapes and sizes.
The key is that you had to be authentic.
Once you realise this, you can start to work on YOUR version of confidence. Not worrying about whether it looks or sounds the same as the person next to you. And developing the skills and behaviours that give you confidence in the way you lead. Because confidence is something you can learn and practice - it just has to come from the heart and be connected to your values and your purpose.
Today I’m sharing some of my most helpful tips as a leadership coach if you’re desperate for more confidence in your role. Read on past the paywall if you’re a paid subscriber for these (or subscribe here) to access the advice. And if you want to focus your own leadership development in this crucial area, then I’m announcing something special for you too…
Introducing The Confident Leader group coaching programme
I've designed this new group coaching programme to take you from frustrated to fearless in your career, so you are ready to lead with confidence. And I'm opening it up as a Beta / Pilot programme at a hugely reduced price of £399.00, before the official launch in September.
With a mix of live sessions and video lessons on deman, we’ll cover off 6 core modules over 10 weeks that will help you become a more confident and effective leader by September including:
Imposter syndrome and overcoming self-limiting beliefs so you can unlock your potential (includes looking at your strengths)
Gaining clarity on your values and purpose as a leader - and how that translates to your authentic leadership style
Building your professional "brand" as a confident and effective leader in your role and across your network
Executive presence, effective communication and being taken "seriously" as a leader on your own terms (including how to beat limiting stereotypes and perceptions, particularly as a female)
Handling difficult scenarios and conversations at work (and how to speak up in meetings!)
Leading vs managing and strategies for leading effectively
Weekly sessions run at 12:00pm and 7:30pm UK time on Tuesdays during the course (you can choose which to attend, based on your schedule and timezone). And the course includes a 30 min session with me one to one pre and post programme too.
We start on Tuesday June 18th.
NOTE: this is a Beta or Pilot programme, running at a hugely reduced price of £399.00 (less than half price), before the official launch in September. You will get the full experience here, but it's a new programme so there may be a few tweaks as we go, numbers will be small (which means more focused attention for you!) and I will be asking for your feedback and a testimonial.
Join The Confident Leader programme now
And now, onto this week’s leadership advice, on you guessed it,confidence!