Build Confidence at Work to Knock Down Goals

March 10, 2022

One of the key causes to stress in the workplace is lack of confidence in one’s abilities, and that stress takes a toll on individual’s physical health, mental health, and overall behavior. 98% of professionals concluded that they perform better when they believe in themselves, but how many professionals across all industries struggle with insecurity in their roles and fail to perform at their full potential? The most basic criteria for any type of job like work ethic and self-motivation are driven by confidence. Lack of workplace self-esteem paired with COVID’s effects on motivation have stifled individual and team performance in businesses and organizations around the world.

The Leadership Development Institute has crafted this list of tips and habits that will help boost your confidence at work:

Be a student.
As a professional, it is important to be self-aware. Continue to hone and learn new skills. Practice makes progress because perfection does not exist. The repetition of practice will make you more comfortable at showcasing your abilities in the workplace. By self-evaluating and sharpening your skillful habits, you will also learn your strengths and stressors in the process. Being able to know what you need help with is just as important as knowing what you have expertise in. Having this student mindset will allow you to become more knowledgeable and confident in your capabilities throughout your professional career.
Connect with other leaders.
One of the best ways to build confidence in yourself as a leader and enhance your skills is by forming relationships with other successful leaders. One’s own peers can be the most resourceful mentors in both personal and professional life. Being able to have someone in your day-to-day life that you find inspirational can be very beneficial as you start the journey to build self-confidence, but it is just as impactful to speak to others who are going through the same challenges as you. Remember that you are not alone. Joining a professional group of peers in your specific sector can help you feel understood and show you that everyone is on the same journey as you in one way or another.
Accept that mistakes happen.
Shift your way of thinking about mistakes. Confident leaders see them as new opportunities for growth. Don’t hold the mistake over your own head, but you should hold yourself accountable to do better the next time. One of the easiest ways to learn the right way to do something is by doing it the wrong way first. Remember that perfection does not exist. Everyone makes mistakes. It comes with the territory of enhancing your skillset as a leader and professional.
Remember your successes.
The truth is no one is bad at everything. Yes, there are going to be times where you make mistakes, but there will also be times when you succeed. It is critical to hold your accomplishments near so that you can always know that success is very attainable for you. It does not matter how large or small the victories are. They are yours and you can and should be proud of them.
Speak positively to and about yourself.
Using positive and affirmative language can shift your mindset and open it to new ways of thinking. Instead of being your own worst enemy, be your own best friend. Being kinder to yourself can positively affect your quality of work. When taking on new tasks, specifically, an optimistic outlook can make you believe that you are more than capable of completing the task successfully. Being self-motivated is a coveted criteria for professionals at all levels. That motivation starts from within. Speaking joyful language to yourself and manifesting a positive outcome can make all the difference in your confidence as a professional.

About Our Services
LDI offers cutting-edge, customized, evidence-based leadership development preparation, interventions, and coaching tailored to individuals, boards, communities, and organizations in the education, youth advancement, government, non-profit, and human services sector. Business and industry have known for decades that leadership development affects organizational effectiveness. Employers that deliberately focus on building leadership capacity in their workforce outperform peers by up to 13 times in key bottom-line outcomes (Boatman et al, 2012). Applying these same strategies to target "the people who develop people" is critical to increasing retention, building morale, and achieving goals.