Many people have this question, “How can I be a confident leader in uncertain situations? Can it be learned or does it come from your personality?”. My answer to this is simple….Yes, having a certain personality trait can surely help your self-confidence, but, it can also be acquired through learning. As a leader, maintaining your self-confidence during challenging or unsure situations does not have to be difficult. You just need to know how to navigate the situation in the right way. To be a good leader, you need to be confident and practice the right habits.
High self-esteem is essential: To maintain an unshakeable self-confidence in any situation the first habit you need to practice is having great self-esteem. When you start respecting yourself, you perform better than if you did not. Your confidence increases the more you like yourself. The more you like yourself, the more effective and efficient you are in each area of your life. Good self-esteem is the best way to handle yourself both as an individual and as a leader.
Be consistent in your values: Living your life according to the values you believe in, is essential for high self-esteem. People need to have a clear idea of what they believe in and avoid compromising it, in order to respect themselves. According to the “Law of Reversibility”, feelings and actions interact with each other. You act in a certain manner consistent with your feeling, however, the reverse is also true. For example, if you value the importance of time, then you will work more efficiently.
Practice courageous leadership: A good way to develop self-confidence is by practicing courageous leadership. Life is filled with risks of every scale. Even with the best planning, you cannot accurately determine the outcome. The only way to succeed is by having the courage to face the unknown. Self-confidence will automatically come if you courageously take risks for the right reasons and pursue your goals.
Admit to your shortcomings: Lastly, being a self-confident leader does not mean you will always be right. You need to be courageous, but also open to the idea that you may be wrong. Many leaders have failed because they refused to question their assumptions and conclusions. Do not be trapped by your ego. Even if you make a bad decision, be honest with yourself and your subordinates and admit to the shortcomings. There is a thin line between being confident and blind. You may not be wrong, but you should be open to other possibilities, this can make you stronger and more confident as a leader.
