Leadership Blog
Your Career Change
Insider Secrets



         "inspiring unity and the very best personal efforts for the benefit of the enterprise"



Five Steps Towards Greater Self Confidence

  Definition of Leadership Sponsored Links

We watch the star athlete calmly make the final shot, score the winning goal, or lead his team for a touchdown in the final minute of the game. We marvel at their talent and their determination, but what we value and admire most is the supreme confidence they display - they know they will succeed.

Confidence is an attribute that is alluring, attractive, valuable, desirable and contagious. Most everyone aspires to greater levels of it, even if they feel confident most of the time. It is a trait that will help us create greater results for ourselves and when leading others. Any trait with this much benefit is one worth developing. And yes, you can develop and strengthen your confidence.

Consider these five steps as the building blocks for greater confidence in any part of your life.

1. Remind yourself of past successes. Confidence builds on past success. Since you have had success before, you can (and will) have it again. We strengthen our confidence in any activity when we review or remind ourselves of past successes. If you are trying to build confidence in a new area, past success can still help us strengthen our confidence. For example, if you have had success in doing something new in the past, review those experiences when trying something else new - even if it is in an entirely different part of your life.

2. Read and listen to positive materials. Fill your mind with positive and affirming words, ideas and stories. Read things that enhances your skills or knowledge in the area in which you want to build your confidence. Read materials that are generally uplifting and affirming, and read biographies of successful people. You will find that many of them had troubles in life, came from tough situations and still succeeded. If you have ever thought, "Well, if they can do, I could too." Then you realize that we can build our confidence by reading about others stories. Reading and listening to positive materials is about reinforcement, encouragement, and learning. All three of these components are needed for greater confidence.

3. See your future success. Olympic athletes, corporate executives, and successful people in all sorts of endeavors visualize future success. Confidence will grow when we see ourselves succeeding. Think about it, if you know you will succeed, your confidence will soar, right? Visualizing future success does that very thing for us. Our minds cannot tell the difference between something real and something vividly imagined. So vividly visualize your success. What will it look like, smell like, and taste like to have succeeded? Who will be with you, what will you be hearing and where will you be? How will you be feeling at that moment? Putting this much detail into your vivid picture improves the likelihood of success, and supports greater confidence!

4. Reframe failure. Thomas Edison spent a long time trying to create an incandescent light bulb - to create light from electricity. He is attributed with saying, "I have not failed, I have discovered twelve hundred materials that don't work." 1,200! Perhaps you feel you can reframe your failures as learning experiences - as a chance to find out what doesn't work. But would you be able to do so 1,200 times? Know that failures will occur - and your confidence won't be as shaken when they come. Use the failures as an opportunity to learn. Realize that every failure puts you that much closer to success. When we reframe our failure as a learning experience we reduce our fear and increase our confidence.

5. Take confident action. You wanted confidence to help you try and succeed in new ways, right? So get out there and get at it! You have to put your confidence to the test. You have to practice. And, while you are taking action, make it confident action! Remember that if you act confident, you will be more confident. Review the other steps you have been taking to build your confidence. If you are driving towards your new action step, remind yourself of past successes, again. Visualize the successful outcome, again. Build your confidence at every step of the way, but remember it all must lead to action.

These steps are a regimen for strengthening and building your confidence in any life situation. Use these steps and I am confident, you will be more confident.

Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe.


MORE RESOURCES:

Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld Receives Diversity ...
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld recently received the 2008 CEO Diversity Leadership Award from Diversity Best Practices for his commitment to integrating ...
Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld Receives Diversity ... istockAnalyst.com (press release)
all 6 news articles


Leadership panel backs Waxman for energy chairman
The Associated Press - 17 hours ago
Henry Waxman of California won backing from a House Democratic leadership panel Wednesday to replace veteran Rep. John Dingell as chairman of the committee ...
Leadership panel backs Waxman for energy chairman WLNS
House Democrats Pick Leadership Team Wall Street Journal Blogs
google news commentComment by Frank O'Donnell President, Clean Air Watch
RTT News
all 830 news articles


Aerospace and Defense Industry Recognizes Dresser-Rand's Ken ...
MarketWatch - 17 hours ago
is pleased to report that the Supplier Excellence Alliance (SEA) has awarded its prestigious Richard Hall Award for Leadership Excellence to Ken Marcia, ...


The Leadership Imperative
Forbes, NY - 18 hours ago
Harvard Business School emerged in the midst of that economic chaos as an institution where students could learn the principles of management and leadership ...
The Harvard Business School Club of Philadelphia Hosts Area ... MarketWatch
all 8 news articles


NBC13.com

Pete Sessions wins leadership role in GOP campaign efforts 12:33 PM CT
Dallas Morning News, TX - 21 hours ago
It took Mr. Sessions more time than he’d hoped to parlay that into a leadership role. The 53-year-old congressman is the son of William Sessions, ...
OC GOP pans House leadership OCRegister
House Republicans elect tough conservatives to leadership posts The Miami Herald
Boehner Retains Leadership Post ABC News
Seattle Times - Lawrence Journal World
all 851 news articles


Christian Science Monitor

Obama promises “new chapter” in climate leadership
Christian Science Monitor, MA - 16 hours ago
By Eoin O'Carroll | 11.19.08 Barack Obama delivered a brief video message Wednesday to the Governors’ Global Climate Summit in Beverly Hills, Calif., ...
Video: Obama Pledges New Direction on Climate Change AssociatedPress
Obama promises leadership on climate change The Associated Press
Obama signals climate policy change in message to conference The Tech Herald
TPM Election Central - FOXNews
all 898 news articles


2nd Annual Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
... billion worth of infrastructure projects, equivalent to 1% of world GDP, will be presented at the 2nd Annual Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum. ...


Illinois Farm Bureau

Leadership battles in Ill. Senate may be resolved
Chicago Tribune, United States - 16 hours ago
Democrats have a 37-22 majority in the Senate, so whoever wins their leadership battle should have the votes to be elected president. ...
Cullerton to be next Senate president The State Journal-Register
Democrats wrangle for Senate leadership Kankakee Daily Journal
Sen. John Cullerton wins state Senate presidency Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Tribune
all 26 news articles


Daily Sun

Nigeria: Leadership Newspapers - Fresh Knocks for the President
AllAfrica.com, Washington - 4 hours ago
After repeated harassment, detention and arrest of staff of Leadership Newspapers by the police and the State Security service (SSS), the publisher and some ...
Leadership and president eager to pack a punch The Punch
Yar’Adua and the test of ‘Leadership Nigerian Tribune
State Of The Nation: Anatomy Of Yar'adua's Real Problem NgEX
AllAfrica.com - AllAfrica.com
all 101 news articles


Faith and Civil Society Leaders Call for Truth and Leadership in ...
MarketWatch - 21 minutes ago
Given the recent election, the world is hopeful that US leadership will promote human rights and equality in US HIV prevention efforts. ...

Leadership - Google News

home | site map | links | about | contact

© 2006, 2007 Career Consulting Limited