Without confidence being a leader is a hard role to achieve and manage. Self-confidence is the fundamental platform from which leadership skills grow. Trying to achieve leadership without a high self-esteem is like building a house without foundations. Follow our tips on how to gain self-confidence and be a leader through your life.
Who am I?
The first step to increasing your self-confidence is figuring out who you are. Write down a achievement log, and list events, awards, and achievements that you have received. By putting all these accomplishments down on paper and looking back on them every day you will start you enjoy the success you have already had.
Everybody makes mistakes
Don’t be scared about being perfect or strive to only achieve the best making failures or mistakes a utter disappointment. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody in the world is perfect. There are never right or wrong answers, gather all your knowledge together and use your best judgement skills and go for it. If you’re wrong then you’re wrong and there’s always time to improve.
Believe in yourself
The world’s best leaders believe in themselves. This is an integral tool to building self-confidence. Stop second guessing and playing yourself down. You’re just as good as the person sitting next to you. Great leaders communicate with a sense of belief and positive expectations toward their prospective achievements. This positive thinking bounces off on other people. Not only will you start to think you’re brilliant but others will too.
Big problems needs small solutions
Big, daunting problems don’t always have to seem tricky. Take time to dissect and use your skills and break the problem down into smaller parts. Completing these smaller parts will make the big problem less of an ordeal and enhance your self-confidence by demonstrating brilliant leadership skills.
Dress confidently
Self-confidence comes within but sometimes it’s the outside which can damage our self-esteem. Make sure that you are happy with what you look like and how your present yourself. No-one is more conscious of your physical appearance than you are. When you are negative about your appearance you hold yourself differently and aren’t as sociable. Small things can help – if you’re a lady, paint your nails or get a cheap hair-cut, and if you’re a guy – go to the gym, or simply buy a new tie. Whatever takes your fancy, make sure you’re feeling good about yourself on the outside just as much as you’re feeling good on the inside.
Make yourself stand out
Stop hiding in the back row scared of having to participate in the classroom or office. Sit at the front and this will build your self-confidence, you will start to get more involved and learn more and most of all you will be socialising brilliantly.
You are number one
It is great to please others and compliments are widely accepted but make sure you are always putting yourself first. Think about whether you are sacrificing your own needs before attempting to please others. Bending over backwards may leave you being used or utilizing your energy and performance skills for nothing. Remember self-confidence stems from happiness within. Are you happy if you’re not putting yourself first?
In order to be a leader throughout your life self-confidence is key. To enhance your self-esteem the process has to start from within, and you are the only person to do this. It doesn’t take long and it isn’t a difficult task it just takes determination and courage, and soon others will start to notice and you will reap the rewards of being a new, self-confident leader. Leaders who are interested in a career boost might consider an online distance learning MBA from an accredited university.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doniree/6815445475/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdiluv/4441155157/
Sarah writes on behalf of DLProg who addresses an important gap in international thinking and policy about the critical role played by leaders, elites and coalitions in the politics of development. Read more about The Leadership Program and the Pacific Leadership Program at DLProg.org.
