How can you build confidence as an entry-level Thought Leader?

Being genuine and authentic is the quickest way to build confidence. Showing up as who you actually are in everything you do and living in the truth builds an enormous amount of confidence in yourself and transfers to those around you. Saying what you mean, meaning what you say and keeping your word are the keys to confidence.

Building confidence as an entry level thought leader is a process that requires continuous learning, practice and feedback. Confidence is not something that you either have or don’t have, but rather something that you can develop and improve over time.

The earlier you are in the process of establishing yourself as a thought leader, the more focused your niche needs to be. Being an expert in a specific area will always attract attention. Spread yourself too thin and you'll be competing against much more established people and won't get as much impact.

When passion and profession align, we orient ourselves toward success from the foundation up. In plain English: it’s immensely fulfilling fixing the features, bugs and processes that irritate you as a user. I keep a small black notebook - my “bug book” and document the little frictions that chafe over the course of days, weeks and months - then assess the frictions that are most scalable / observed in others

If you're worried about being a "thought leader," you should already know the niche/business you're in. Otherwise, you're not really "leading" anything, are you?

As a young professional - we have more resources than ever with a few keystrokes and deft clicks of a mouse. But as topical specificity narrows - like putting jeans under a microscope - the once solid body of knowledge fades out and the holes in the status quo are exposed. Valuable content is not solely a function of technical accuracy: strong citations, intuitive writing and salient topicality. While these niceties remain important - the originality of coverage in parallel is a value-additive dimension.

Being a highly organized and passionate Lecturer, with 15+ years of expertise in planning, and delivering instruction in specialized subjects. Innovative with strong skills in curriculum development, material creation, and direct teaching while aiding in organizational goals and objectives. Bring strong problem-solving abilities with success in providing effective student guidance, faculty training, and higher educational learning.

Listening to feedback is One of the most important signs of self-confidence. Take the time to listen to the ideas and concerns of your team. Not only can this help you better understand the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of each member, but you can also choose to give your team a certain level of freedom so that members feel valued or, conversely, to be more present to guide them.

The beauty of life is the ability to learn and grow. As a Data Scientist, technology is very helpful to us when it comes to saving time from day to day basis but fundamentally, as a human being, we are called to learn everyday despite the shortcuts that we have surrounding us. Learning is a non-ending algorithm despite which season you are in your life. I believe listening to people (it does not matter if you know the topic already) can give you more insights about what you already know. Feedbacks and improvements from people aren’t said to put you down rather to build you back up. Just think of it as “another chance.”

A different perspective ... Leaders are open to feedback, but be aware of who is giving that feedback. Is the feedback you're getting worth listening to? Everybody and his brother has an opinion, but if you want to be a leader, you need to LEAD, not follow ... especially people who don't know waht they're talking about.

One thing I've found helpful in becoming a confident leader is improvement. Consistent progress in your work helps you evolve in your career. Learn a skill every day. It could be an online course, an in-person class or a mentorship program. Mentorship is one key thing that helps you progress as an individual. As an entry-level leader, you have to learn from pioneers. People who have the skills and knowledge to teach you how to build confidence in your journey.

Take more risk as an entry-level leader, regardless of the industry or organization. Instead of just following, consistently bring your authentic value to the table and speak up. Start with small risks to and evaluate responses from peers, leaders, or your audience. Learning from failures is often more valuable than successes, so dare to take risks while staying true to your authentic voice and values.

Authenticity is one of the qualities that a good leader must possess. A team naturally respects and follows you if you are real. To be authentic, it is necessary to be aware of your strengths, limitations, and vulnerabilities and not be afraid to show them. Being authentic also means being open, honest, and wise in front of your team.

Authenticity breeds passion! I could listen to a presentation on socks if the person presenting had passion. By being in the field that is meant for you, you will not only serve yourself best, you’ll serve others best. “ Be who you be.”

Authenticity is a key ingredient to being a successful leader. Relationships are key to the success of an organization. The people know whether you are authentic as you ask about their lives and the details of their jobs. They are more likely to not only listen to your feedback but also incorporate the input.

Setting out clear goals as a thought leader is a step in the right direction. It helps you know where you are going and how you want to achieve those goals. Nothing is done without having an objective. You should be intentional about your goals especially when you get into a new chapter. Being a thought leader means showing integrity. If you have such a soft skill, you come as a trustworthy person. Talking about building confidence as a thought leader, leadership is the ability to learn, unlearn and be ready to take up the mandate to progress in your chosen field. Yes, it takes time. But here is what to do: work on yourself, learn from mentors, upgrade your skills and master your skills invariably so that you can be good at what you do.

1. Realise that you have something valuable to share. This builds your confidence. 2. Be committed to consistently sharing. See it as helping others think differently and become better, while building your reputation as a thought leader. You both benefit when you consistently show up. 3. Leverage social media to amplify your value 4. Be consistent

Make sure that everything you post brings true value. And know that you have something to say, and your voice deserves to be heard.

Don’t start by thinking about confidence. Confidence comes from Clarity so focus on that first. Work with a trusted coach to gain complete clarity about what you do, why you do it, what you think, and where you want to share your best ideas. Once you start putting your best ideas out there, you’ll get internal and external validation, and that’s what will give you confidence.

Pick a platform and format you like and a frequency that works for you. Establishing yourself as a thought leader means being consistent, and you'll only manage that if it's a format you like and a frequency you can comfortably keep up with.

Do more than you talk about doing. Great leaders are "in the trenches", they're DOING the things they talk about and eating their own cooking.