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<\/p>\nWhenever I speak with leaders about their greatest struggles, the answer I hear more than any other is a lack of confidence. It\u2019s a universal affliction.<\/p>\n\n
Early in my career, I suffered from almost crippling social anxiety. At formal office functions, I\u2019d sweat like crazy and my hands would go ice-cold.<\/p>\n
Later, as the CEO of Thomas Nelson, I wrestled with heavy feelings of inadequacy. Was I really up for the job? Could I really lead this business through the Great Recession?<\/p>\n
It turns out that most leaders deal with insufficient confidence. In fact, every effective leader I know struggles with this issue to one degree or another.<\/p>\n\n
How do they stay in the game and keep winning? They don\u2019t give in to the fear, uncertainty, and doubt. They struggle against them\u2014and win.<\/p>\n
And you can too. I\u2019ve studied this phenomenon for a long time\u2014mainly for myself. But I\u2019ve found time and again that my answer works for others too. I call it The Confidence Circle.\u2122<\/p>\n
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I\u2019d like to unpack these seven steps below. In my experience of coaching and mentoring others, virtually anyone can follow these steps to gain more confidence.<\/p>\n
The best way to get clarity? Identify your key objectives and start moving toward them. Take the steps that are clear now and the path toward the goal will emerge as you go.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Courage requires you to take a step toward your goals with the clarity you have\u2014even if you\u2019re afraid. When we do this, we make progress toward our goals, and confidence grows as we get closer to our objectives.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Community.<\/strong> Leaders sometimes feel like they have to go it alone. But inviting others into your journey comes with significant advantages:<\/p>\n What\u2019s great is that these steps are mutually reinforcing. If you want to find clarity and courage, the right community can make all the difference.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Commitment.<\/strong> At some point, we all want to quit. Every journey has rough patches, periods where it doesn\u2019t feel rewarding or even remotely worth all the trouble.<\/p>\n The trick is staying connected to your why? What motivates you? What\u2019s the payoff? The ability and determination to keep going despite the setbacks and challenges is what separates successful from the rest of the field.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Celebration.<\/strong> This one isn\u2019t natural for me. Achiever is my top strength. When I score a win, I don\u2019t want to slow down. I want to get onto the next one. But pausing to celebrate our victories is huge for building confidence.<\/p>\n Why? Celebration forges a strong connection between accomplishment and positive feelings that can keep our mood up and our motivation strong.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Capability.<\/strong> When we face down our fears and do hard stuff, we usually develop new and stronger capabilities than we had before facing those fears.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably proven this to yourself a million times in life already. Get through something once, and it\u2019s easier to believe you can do it again. That\u2019s practically the definition of confidence. Pretty soon what once terrified you becomes a matter of routine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Confidence.<\/strong> You\u2019ve arrived. When you reach this point, you\u2019re operating from a place of confidence. You intuitively know you have the capabilities, resources, and strategies you need to effectively lead, face challenges, and reach your goals.<\/p>\n But this is only the start. The Confidence Circle\u2122 is more than a loop. It\u2019s an upward spiral.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve reached a sustained experience of confidence, it\u2019s time to reach for some bigger objectives, some goals that will pull you out of your comfort zone and stretch you.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\n