Real confidence means you truly know yourself. You are stepping into your day with a genuine, grounded confidence that radiates from within. It's not about arrogance or putting on a facade; it's about being the best version of yourself.
You're not just going through the day absent minded; you're harnessing your strengths and believing in your abilities. You understand the importance of what you're good at, and you see how it aligns with your work. You know you bring value to the table, and you're aware of the value others place in you.
Pretending to have confidence eventually wears you down. So, let's explore how to nurture and grow your inner confidence that will empower you in your authentic leadership journey.
Having the confidence as a leader to show up as the true and authentic version of yourself can take time to develop.
Learning how to show up comes down to being aware, being real and being strong, in other words, showing up requires three key skills:
- Self-awareness (be aware)
- Authenticity (be real)
- Strength (be strong)
When we have strong self-awareness, authenticity and emotional strength within ourselves, we are able to be truly authentic. But how do we get to this point?
Here is a quick practical exercise, which explores and reflects on each of the three YOUs. Spend some time now reflecting on each of the three YOUs by considering these questions:
Inner you:
- What am I trying to achieve?
- What am I great at?
- What gives me energy?
- What am I not so great at?
- What needs to change?
- What do I really value?
- What do I truly believe in?
Outer you:
- What decisions am I making?
- Are my decisions congruent with what I believe in?
- Am I behaving in line with my values?
- How consistent is my behavior?
Perceived you:
- What impact am I having on these around me?
- What feedback have I received?
- What do you notice from your responses to these questions?
- Which areas could you improve?
It might help you to write down your answers in a notebook to refer back to when you are feeling unsure of yourself or as a point of comparison to see how far you have come in a few months' time.
If you would like to dive deeper into your journey of showing up as the authentic you, grab my book - The Power of Real Confidence - for more practical confidence building skills.
When you start to complete all the confidence skills, you will start to cultivate your confidence and supercharge your career.
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