18 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Habit #3 – Self Determined
Over 18 weeks, we are excited to introduce 18 habits that separate emotionally intelligent leaders from the rest. These habits fill the gap between mediocre, good, and great leaders.
Habit #3 – Self-Determined Confidence is self-generated. Act knowing that a wealth of confidence is earned through deposits of “doing.”
Confidence is often an underrated skill. When leaders act with confidence, they:
Positively influence others Increase executive presence Decrease stress based on fear of failure Engage in less negative thinking Act more quickly and more decisively
When leaders lack confidence, they are more prone to:
Micro-managing Procrastination Withholding information Taking credit due to others Indecision
When leaders lack confidence, performance suffers, and business results stall.
What behavior is most common for you when you feel a lack of confidence?
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Read on for strategies for building self-confidence.
Building Self-Confidence
Confidence is an essential skill for leaders because it significantly impacts their ability to inspire and motivate others, make tough decisions, and navigate uncertain situations. The challenge with confidence is that it camouflages itself behind logic. The leader who is hesitant does not say, “I don’t have confidence.” Instead, they may say something like, “It’s just not the right time.”
As we’ve been discussing in this series on high-impact leading with The 18 Behaviors of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders, stillness, reflection, and self-honesty are essential to identifying behaviors and decisions made from a lack of confidence.
Here are a few reasons why confidence is important for leaders:
- Influence and credibility: Confidence helps leaders gain influence and establish credibility among their team members and stakeholders. When leaders demonstrate confidence in their abilities and decisions, it inspires trust and encourages others to follow their lead. Have you ever wanted to follow someone who had no confidence? Probably not!
- Decision-making: Confidence enables leaders to make complex and challenging decisions more effectively and efficiently. It helps them trust their judgment. They can rely on their experience and knowledge, and take calculated risks to pursue the desired outcome.
- Resilience: Confident leaders expect obstacles on the way to success. They are better equipped to handle setbacks, learn from failures, and bounce back from difficult situations. Their confidence inspires resilience in their team members, creating a positive and determined work environment.
- Communication and motivation: Leaders need to communicate their vision, goals, and expectations effectively to their team. Confidence helps leaders articulate their ideas clearly, assertively, and persuasively. Confident leaders inspire and motivate their team members to strive for excellence and help them see how their contribution helps achieve the mission. This has the effect of boosting overall productivity and morale.
To increase confidence as a leader, consider the following strategies:
- Build self-awareness: Understand your strengths, weaknesses, and values. Take time for introspection and reflect on areas where you feel less confident. Awareness is the first step.
- Set achievable goals: Set realistic and attainable goals for yourself and your team. Accomplishing these goals will boost your confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment. Ensure they are broken down into specific and measurable tactics.
- Continuously learn and improve: Invest in your personal and professional development. Acquire new knowledge, skills, and competencies through training, mentoring, or coaching. The more you know, the more confident you will feel in your abilities and the better you will become at applying them.
- Seek feedback: Actively seek feedback from your team members, peers, and mentors. Feedback can provide valuable insights into areas where you can improve, affirm your strengths, and help you identify blind spots. Feedback can be difficult to take but growth is found in constructive criticism, not praise. Seek constructive criticism.
- Embrace failure and learn from it: Failure is a natural part of growth and development. Success if rarely a straight line. Instead of letting failures discourage you, view them as opportunities for learning and improvement. Analyze what went wrong, extract lessons from the experience, and apply them to future endeavors. Go easy on yourself, shedding the desire for perfection.
- Practice and prepare: Practice important skills such as public speaking, decision-making, and problem-solving. The more you practice, the more confident you will become. Additionally, thorough preparation for presentations, meetings, or challenging situations can boost your confidence.
- Surround yourself with a supportive network: Surround yourself with individuals who believe in you and support your growth as a leader. Having a strong support system can provide encouragement and help you maintain confidence during challenging times. Don’t try to go it alone. There is strength in seeking support to shorten your success curve.
The strategies above will help you create deposits into your Confidence Account (From the Book: The Dream Life Roadmap: 10 Essential Factors for Creating Your Dream Life. – See Image)
Remember, confidence is not about being arrogant or disregarding others’ opinions. It is about having faith in your abilities, displaying self-assurance, and inspiring confidence in those around you.
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