Vijaya is
a successful professional with high qualification and has worked in several
countries worldwide. She is very good at delivering her tasks and is highly self-accountable.
She becomes very much self-conscious when it comes to facing the camera or a
large audience of strangers. She
always avoids addressing a group unless it is inevitable. Any amount of
persuasion did not help. What is it that keeps people like Vijaya undercover?
She does not lack competence. Then what is the reason? It perturbed me for a
long time. How many Vijaya’s are there who are facing this kind of issue? How
did it originate in the first place? How will they overcome this kind of
self-barrier? Does this issue impact other areas of work-life? Why this lack of
confidence in certain areas? How to overcome it?
confidence means "a feeling of
trust and firm belief in self or in others”. And unfortunately, too many
perfectly capable leaders lack confidence. Contrary to
popular belief, confidence isn’t something we are born with, it’s a characteristic
that one can build over the period of time. The first step in building
confidence is understanding why we have low confidence in the first place. To
start, the next time one starts feeling like running away from a particular
situation. Stop and ask yourself, “Why am I feeling like
this? What is going on within myself? Why am I reacting in this way?”
Competence is essential to succeed in the workplace
and to attain personal satisfaction. However competence will only take you far
only when confidence prevails. The fear of making
a mistake at work is what holds most of us back. Most of the time, we are
worried about getting something wrong. The reaction and comments of the people
in the team when one is wrong also bears huge amount of fear. This fear will
hold us back from even giving honest feedback to colleagues sometimes. This
fear stems from lack of confidence from within ourselves as we start doubting
our actions and words. What we don’t realise is that because of our inner fears
we are also hampering the growth of a person by not being honest. It does not
help both the sides in the long run. Though it's natural to feel this way, a
lack of self-confidence could actually hold you back in the workplace and
prevent you from reaching your full potential.
Confident leaders and employees own up everything, regardless of
the outcome. They are responsibile for their actions and do not pass blame on
others. Such leaders have broken free from the chains of self-doubt. They have
removed fear from their lives which aids in decision-making process. It is
not easy for confident people to own every action and willingly accept the
consequences, no matter how negative they may be. But still they do it, cause
they know that they can tide over the storm in any challenging situation.
Confidence in the workplace depletes gradually as we make
mistakes or grows as we accomplish tasks and excel. This happens when our
confidence is dependent on the views of others. Often, the difference in our
confidence level comes down to how we react to criticism, our ability to gain
knowledge and experience, and the decisions we make throughout the day. It's
possible to grow in confidence at work.
Once
you start to address the reasons why you lack confidence, it’s important to
start building positive habits that reinforce your willpower and confidence.
Trumpet Small Wins
Don’t miss any wins even small wins. It's
ok to let people know when you get a win. Friends or spouses or family members may
brand it as bragging. Do not let their branding affect you in any way. You can
build your own confidence by pointing out, in a matter-of-fact , that you were
the one who accomplished something for the company. It makes you more confident
because you get into the habit of self-rewards and self-acknowledgement. Also,
when you become a leader, you will make it a point to acknowledge small wins of
team members and win their confidence.
Avoid Negative Self-Talk
There is always an inner voice which
appreciates and one which depreciates. Be aware to which voice you are
listening to. The process can only begin when you start recognizing your inner
voice and its constant negative chattering. It is only then you can nip it in
the bud. Tweak the way you are thinking, and convince your inner negative voice
that you are capable of finding the right solution. When if it goes wrong in
any way, you will work around it.
Language of Confident People
A confident person carries a wave of positivity around them
which is contagious. The world stands apart for him. It
shows in the body language, voice and words. A confident person commands respect
instinctively. Start being aware of your
language in the mind. Is it the language of “I CAN” or “I CAN’T”. When I can’t
is replaced with I can, everything starts falling in order. The body language
changes as well. People in your team and home will believe in you and your
actions and associates will be influenced to be self-confident themselves.
Comment
below with your thoughts. Watch this space for more insights on healthy mindset
for self-leadership. Want to bring about the culture of managing
with meditation, progress and perform mindfully for maximizing your outcomes in
a playful approach at your workplace or in your venture, attend our Turning
Point– Turn in and Tune in workshop. Mail us at culture@hasovan.com for more
details. Our team would be happy to get in touch. Catch the work-place
philosophy of various companies in the book “Erupt with Joy” by Savitha
Hosamane.
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