How do you model confidence as a mentor and inspire your mentee to follow your example?

Confidence starts from within. One of the best ways a mentor can support a mentee is by helping them work on their self-talk. We can say a lot of nasty stuff to ourselves that affects our ability to project confidence. If the voice in their head is telling them, "I don't belong here." or "I'm not good enough." help them reframe it to more supportive self-talk like, "I don't have to be perfect to start." or "I've done hard things before and I can do this too."

In my experience sharing a story of struggle and triumph is a powerful way to model authenticity and honesty with your mentee. This story is about a time when my wife and I lived on one income for three months each year, and expensive household items would always break during that time, leaving us anxious and in debt. I then discovered the idea of increasing savings during the nine months of two incomes, which allowed us to cover unexpected expenses during the one income period. We then shifted our focus to wealth-building goals and learned the importance of resilience and strategic planning. I share this story to encourage others to overcome their own challenges and believe in themselves.

I prefer to explore 'expanding your current field of reference' rather than 'stepping out of your comfort zone' since the autonomic nervous system is designed to keep us safe! Young people really get that!

The only thing missing here is that greater confidence often springs from knowing or discovering ones own strengths. It's therefore crucial to put a value on what you do and what others do. It's easier to perfect a strength than it is to work on a (so called) weekness.

Here's a quick trick to keep you confident but not overconfident when you go into a meeting. Ask yourself: I wonder what I don't know? Curiosity is the antidote to overconfidence.