Day 15: Confidence

Coach Mickey Anderson Podcast · Confidence

Confidence is about having a firm trust in something and characterized by the dependence of quality, capacity and surety of a man or thing (Eragula, 2016).  Confidence is a core component of effective leadership, as people are not quick to follow someone who is unsure about the path ahead or their own capabilities. Confidence is not an autonomous character, it is the combination of multiple qualities, “SOKET stands for self-esteem, optimism, knowledge, experience and trust which as a total add to the levels of confidence in a pioneer.” (Eragula, 2016).

Self-esteem refers to regard and profound respect, particularly to oneself. Self-esteem keeps a leader from falling into insecurities and expands the certainty levels in a leader. (Eragula, 2016).

Optimism or positive thinking is a soft skill that contributes to the growth of a person (Eragula, 2016). It’s been said that “Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

Knowledge and Awareness are the keys to unlocking and maintaining confidence. A leader has to have situational awareness and knowledge in order to influence others to follow them with confidence.

Experience helps a large portion of leaders feel more confident than those with less experience. Past experiences stand as pillars for leaders to incline toward and face future difficulties (Eragula, 2016).

​Finally, trust is one of the building blocks which when implemented, rapidly encourages confidence. Trust empowers leaders to depend on the capacities they have, making them feel certain about what they can do, how they can do and why they need to do.

Task: Handwrite a letter to your present self from your future self. What advice would you
give? What reassurances would you give? What can your future self tell you about your current situation and what it will mean to you in the future? 

Why: This is a powerful exercise that builds your confidence and ability to self-soothe. When we write (pen is preferred, but you can type), we clarify our thoughts. We get to crystallize our concerns, which paradoxically lowers the power they have over us. We get to set our long-term intentions and improve our actions because we’ve been comforted and guided.

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References: 
Eragula, R. (2016). The Role of Confidence in Leadership. International Journal of Current Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(7), 353.