What comes to mind when you hear the words “confident leader”?  What qualities do they possess that you admire and wish you had?  How do you define confidence? What would your confidence level be if you developed those qualities as a leader?

Whatever your answers were to my initial questions, I have great news! – Confidence is not something you are born with but rather something you acquire over time through experience, practice, and having a growth mindset.  You can develop a greater level of confidence to propel your career trajectory and help you optimize your leadership potential; I can show you how. 

Confidence is the seventh practice (a.k.a. discipline) out of the ten featured in this series of how to unleash the career of your dreams. In case you have missed previous articles on the subject, here is the complete list of the ten practices as defined by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC):

1.   Awareness
2.   Acceptance
3.   Conscious Choice
4.   Trusting the Process
5.   Authenticity
6.   Fearlessness
7.   Confidence
8.   Connection
9.   Presence in the Moment
10. 100% Energetic Engagement

How confidently you approach a new task, project, or situation begins with your mindset.  Your thoughts and ideas of what success looks like determine your confidence level. 

• A low level of confidence will manifest in thoughts of defeat, anger, frustration, and an “all-or-nothing” attitude toward winning or losing. 
• A person with a low to moderate level of confidence might approach the same situation with less care about the desired outcome and possibly see that a positive outcome could happen but are not fully invested. 
• A leader with a moderate to high level of confidence sees opportunity everywhere.
• Those reaching the highest level of confidence can detach from the outcome, let go of ego, and create the experience of their own will.  In other words, a high-level leader will draw their strength from within irrespective of the task at hand.  They simply know that they have everything they need at their disposal, even without any prior experience. 

How do you feel now that you have learned that anyone can develop confidence in all situations, regardless of previous experience?  It is an empowering feeling, isn’t it?  As a professional coach, I can help you develop the mindset of a confident leader in all situations.

I would like to conclude this article with a piece of advice by Henry David Thoreau “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.”