What do you do if your confidence is wavering and self-doubt is holding you back?

It is certain, that every leader will experience self-doubt and anxiety at some point, if not multiple times during their career. I have found it very useful to practice grounding techniques - especially refocusing on patients and colleagues. A great way to do this is to ensure you leap off of the carousel of daily meetings - and engage (in person) with patients and with colleagues. This can be energizing for you as the leader and for the teams with whom you visit. I also found making patient connections, listening to concerns, and sometimes having the opportunity to make a family's experience just a little bit better is so valuable.

There are servant leadership techniques that can help us when our confidence has taken a blow. Just before the global covid pandemic I found myself caught in a corporate downsizing, and it was tough to get my career back on track. Eventually I did, and here are tools to remember: 1. Always acknowledge your feelings of fear. It's ok, we all will face struggle, just part of the human journey. 2. Seek Feedback from trusted mentors. Ken Blanchard said, "feedback is the breakfast of champions." 3. Visualize successful outcomes. This is a technique used by pro athletes all the time, and I have found success in this myself, just takes time. 4. Don't give up. Sometimes success comes when we are at the end of our endurance. Stay encouraged!

Acknowledge the doubt: Don't ignore it, but don't believe it either. Reflect on wins: List past achievements to remind yourself of your capabilities. Seek support: Talk to a trusted friend, mentor, or therapist. Set small goals: Start with achievable goals to build momentum and confidence. Reframe self-talk: Challenge negative thoughts with positive affirmations. "I can do this!" Practice self-care: Get enough sleep, eat well, and do activities that energize you. Focus on progress, not perfection: Celebrate small steps toward your goals.

Take a moment to smile and remember your past successes and the difficult situations you've navigated through. This reflection can reinforce your confidence and remind you that you are capable of handling current challenges. Write down the specific challenge or situation you are dealing with. Reflect on this at a time when you feel most capable and clear-minded. Break the issue into smaller, manageable steps and determine what immediate action you can take next. Share your thoughts and gather diverse perspectives from mentors, friends, or family as appropriate. Their insights can provide valuable new viewpoints Cheers!

When confidence wavers and self-doubt creeps in, it's an opportunity for self-compassion and exploration. First, acknowledge that these feelings are part of being human; they don't define your worth or capabilities. Take a moment to breathe and remind yourself of your strengths and past successes. Reflect on what's triggering these doubts—a new challenge, external pressures, or internal comparisons? Once you understand the root, challenge negative thoughts with evidence of your abilities and focus on small, achievable steps forward. Seek support from trusted people around you who can uplift and inspire you. vulnerability and growth often go hand in hand, so be kind to yourself as you navigate this journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Practice Self-Compassion: Understand that making mistakes is part of growth. Instead of fearing errors, view them as stepping stones toward improvement. Look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am enough, and I am learning.” Cultivate Self-Worth: Recognize your value and unique qualities. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Remember, you deserve success and happiness. Positive Self-Talk: Challenge negative thoughts. When self-doubt creeps in, replace it with affirmations. Remind yourself of past accomplishments and your ability to overcome challenges.

One thing I have found to be helpful is creating a “high five” folder where I save kind notes, thank you for something I did for others that they expressed gratitude for, and notes to myself for when I went through a challenging time and was able to overcome it to reflect and reread. This has been a great reminder of how far I have come and how I made an impact on others.

Reflection is a powerful tool for overcoming self-doubt and building confidence. Take time regularly to reflect on your experiences, accomplishments, and challenges. Consider what you have learned from past successes and failures, and how you can apply these lessons to current situations. As a servant leader, I believe in the power of self-reflection to gain clarity, perspective, and confidence in our abilities.

To know where you want to go, you have to understand your starting point. Acknowledge your fear. What ails you? What are your options? What is your action plan? And count on your team and support network at this time.

I remind myself of times when I've overcome challenges or achieved my goals. Reflecting on past successes helps boost my confidence. We all have success in our lives...it is perfectly acceptable to use past success when dealing with self-confidence.

I am so fortunate to have an amazing boss who is a mentor who I can talk to about anything! Just thos week I have been navigating some challenging situations at work and I don't want the situations to negatively impact some key relationships I have cultivated for more than 3 years. I reached out to my boss and we talked through the situation and he helped me find balance and solutions. My advice is that a mentor is invaluable. Find someone you can bounce ideas off who has more experience than you do.

Seeking feedback from others can provide valuable insights and perspectives that can help bolster your confidence and overcome self-doubt. Reach out to trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends and ask for their honest feedback on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Be open to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity for growth and development. As a servant leader, I encourage seeking feedback as a way to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our potential.

Reach out to trusted colleagues, mentors, or supervisors for honest and constructive feedback on your performance, skills, and contributions. Request specific examples or areas for improvement to identify areas where you can grow and develop. Use this feedback as a learning opportunity to address any areas of concern and build upon your strengths. Additionally, engage in self-reflection and mindfulness practices to cultivate self-awareness and resilience. Remind yourself of past successes and accomplishments to boost your confidence and counteract self-doubt. By seeking feedback and fostering self-awareness, you can overcome self-doubt and regain confidence in your abilities.

Recognition, feedback, challenging feedback and celebrations are the perfect painkillers for the heart, just as focus, prioritization and pruning give the focus necessary to calm the brain. A contribution of presence, availability, accessibility and visibility are the necessary support for the body, as the search for meaning responds to the search for why and the future projection of the mind. Support, recognition, focus and senses charge the 4 human energy batteries.

Seeking feedback from trusted sources as well as doing a self inventory of successful accomplishments from your past will help restore confidence and remind you of what you’re capable of

Take the time to understand what is in your control and work on chipping away at those things. Often, we look at the entire problem and find ourselves in a loop of tackling it in its entirety when things are rarely one-dimensional.

Setting small, achievable goals can help build momentum and confidence, gradually overcoming self-doubt. Break down larger tasks or challenges into smaller, manageable steps, and focus on achieving one goal at a time. Celebrate your progress and accomplishments along the way, no matter how small they may seem. I encourage setting realistic and attainable goals that stretch your abilities while also providing a sense of accomplishment and progress.

There is no linear or stair-step growth. Growth is a succession of development loops. There is a time for growth, a time for resilience, a time for integration and absorption. These times of discomfort are not in themselves a limit but information that allows us to progress step by step towards future ambition and vision. It is the future that justifies the present.

One more thing to consider here Many people in their push to impress handle so many things at the same time causing multiple failure that drain their self confidence. Learn the strength of your team and put each in his/her place of strength while you consolidate on your area of strength - DELEGATE more. Ensure you break the tasks into chunks with milestones so you and others can see your achievement as you pursue the main goal coming from the achievement of all your milestones.

Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is essential for maintaining confidence and resilience in the face of self-doubt. Prioritize self-care activities that nourish your body, mind, and spirit, such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones. Set boundaries and make time for activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. I believe in the importance of self-care as a foundation for personal and professional success.

Visualization is a powerful technique for building confidence and overcoming self-doubt. Take time each day to visualize yourself succeeding in your goals and aspirations. Imagine yourself confidently navigating challenges, achieving your objectives, and realizing your full potential. Use visualization to cultivate a positive mindset and reinforce your belief in yourself and your abilities. As a servant leader, I encourage harnessing the power of visualization as a tool for building confidence and resilience on your leadership journey.

I imagine myself achieving my goals and visualize the positive outcomes. Visualization helps me reinforce confidence and motivation. Thinking about how "good" it is going to feel personally is motivating to me.

As a servant leader, envisioning the positive impact your success will have on those you serve can be particularly motivating and can help dispel lingering self-doubt. Incorporate visualization into your daily routine, setting aside time to mentally rehearse success scenarios and visualize yourself confidently navigating various situations. Pair visualization with actionable steps to address areas of concern, such as seeking support from mentors, honing relevant skills, or breaking tasks into manageable steps. With consistent practice and belief in yourself, you can overcome self-doubt and emerge as a confident and effective servant leader.

Find a mentor. Mentors are able to give you an outside perspective on your performance, thought processes, and approach. They are able to give you truthful, unbiased perspective that can reinforce your approach - and give you more confidence in it - or can help reposition your thinking so that your approach is leveled up.

Every one of our employees knew more about our business then the management team, in some respect, and we were fools if we didn't engage those that see the opportunities directly. Don't fear failure. All successful people take educated risks and "fail". That's called learning from research and development. We never improved anything doing it the same way over and over. Our employee ideas resulting in huge productivity gains that benefitted them directly through profit sharing.

Get an Accountability/Sharing partner and- talk/text every day, to support each other. Or- find a group/community that'll support you in difficult times: we were NOT designed to function alone!!!:)

I would like to share the words said by ex President of India and the Great Scientist Mr. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM "Whenever you face fear or feel that you are lost that time repeat the below sentences while watching yourself in the mirror. 1. I am strong. 2. I can do this. 3. I will win. 4. I belive in myself. 5. I am confident. Make sure you have to see in your eyes with a smile on your face." Below point is from my side. By doing this every single day you will become the one who will do a miracle one day.

Seek Professional Help: I stay open to the possibility of speaking to a professional If self-doubt significantly impacts my daily life or mental well-being. They can provide strategies and support tailored to your specific needs. This should never be viewed as a sign of weakness. I try to remember, building confidence is a journey, and it's okay to take small steps forward. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way.