A Guide to Confidence for Professional Women

Is a lack of self-confidence holding you back? 

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Alright, let's talking about – what seems to be everyone’s favourite topic - Confidence! 

 

Almost every time I speak with a woman, she’d me that she wants to ‘Improve her level of confidence’; or she’d say that ‘Lack confidence is holding her back’. That the infamous ‘Imposter Syndrome’ gets the better of her…

 

But remember, your most confident self will see and seize opportunities in a different way. And if you lack self-confidence, you are most certainly not unleashing your full potential. And that, I cannot tolerate! After all, our mission is to create a professional world women can believe in and thrive. The believing part comes from you: From your mindset, your confidence, your curiosity to learn and connect.

 

So, what's the deal? Why do you or some women feel like they're missing a confidence chromosome?

 

While confidence is certainly not a magical power that some have, and others don’t; we do believe that confidence is a superpower that works like a muscle. A muscle that you are in control and in charge of. A muscle you need to continuously work on: To develop, to strengthen, to tone, and to maintain. 

 

Confidence is defining success for yourself!

 

So, let’s tackle confidence together, shall we? 

 

First, what is confidence? Confidence isn't just a buzzword; it is a crucial trait, a mindset that can help you to open doors for yourself, and to shine the way for others. Confidence doesn’t need to be ‘loud’ or obnoxious. There is a difference between bragging and confidently sharing insights and achievements. One sucks the oxygen out of a room, and the other fuels the heart!

 

Who is the most confident person you know and like? What does s/he do?

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Second, what’s a lack of self-confidence? A lack of confidence in professional women is like wearing sunglasses indoors – it might look cool, but it's holding you back. Imagine not going for that promotion or passing up a chance to negotiate your salary because of a little confidence hiccup. That's not the power move we're looking for.

 

Third, confidence is not a one-size fits all state of affair: You might know from your own experience confidence can wane if you are going through changes in your life and career. A once confident portfolio manager, now on maternity leave, might simply feel a bit insecure or a sense of trepidation when imagining going back to a full-on role. Totally understandable. But as we like to say in German: “Gefahr erkannt, Gefahr gebannt!” Roughly translated to once you know the problem, you can tackle it.

 

And please remember, there is not a one-size-fit all confidence. Confidence (and how to express it) means different things for different people. And it can also vary from one life stage to the next. Being aware of your definition of confidence and your own self-confidence barometer as if it was a fuel level is key for your success. 

 

Nothing builds confidence faster and better than a stretch assignment.

 

Yes, doing new things, raising your hand for a stretch assignment, or saying

“Hell, yes! I’ll do that!”  to a bloody difficult and scary thing your boss asks you to do, is indeed a bit like jumping into the deep end.

 

But you are #gracefullyBOLD. Which means you are smart and resilient, and you can figure things out...