Many people aspire to become leaders, but lack the self-confidence to pursue their goals. This can affect their performance, motivation, and career prospects. As a manager, you can help your team members develop leadership skills and overcome their self-doubt. Here are some ways to do that.
One of the first steps to help your team members grow as leaders is to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. You can use various tools, such as feedback surveys, self-assessments, or 360-degree reviews, to gather data on their skills, behaviors, and attitudes. Then, you can have a candid conversation with them, highlighting their achievements and acknowledging their challenges. This will help them recognize their value and potential, as well as their learning needs.
Don't leave identification of strengths and weaknesses just to tools and surveys. Best understanding comes when you work alongside your team member to deliver and know when to switch from mentoring to coaching. The journey between the two is where the real self-confidence building work happens. Its where you help them remove the training wheels and ride confidently on their career path without them even knowing but with the belief of an invisible but ever-present assuring hand on the back. Like any parent, a manager needs to know when to let go and be there when they stumble or fall.
In my experience as a leadership coach and personal and professional development consultant, mentoring is a valuable way to build self-confidence in new and even seasoned leaders. The added benefit of mentoring is that the mentor can provide confidential feedback and a safe space for the mentee to practice building new skills and gain added confidence. I was recently contracted to develop a mentor program to build employee self-confidence and focus on career development for 40 employees. Our surveys showed that the program was a big success, and one added benefit was the bonding of senior leaders with the mentees. Some helpful tools include the Everything DiSC Management and the Leadership Circle Profile.
What i personally think is that focusing on individual's existing strengths, such as problem-solving abilities, communication skills, or domain expertise helps a lot towards bigger goal. e.g., a team member might excel in analyzing complex data but feel uncertain about leading meetings. In parallel, it's important to identify the areas requiring improvement, such as public speaking, decision-making, or conflict resolution. A team member may need to enhance their public speaking skills for effective leadership. Identifying such gap allows us to tailor leadership development efforts. And by acknowledging strengths & gaps, we can create personalized development plans that boost self-confidence & enable team members to become better leaders.
Another way to boost your team members' confidence and leadership skills is to provide them with coaching and mentoring. Coaching is a process of asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and offering guidance and support. Mentoring is a relationship between a more experienced and a less experienced person, who share knowledge, insights, and advice. You can coach and mentor your team members yourself, or connect them with other leaders in your organization or industry. This will help them develop new perspectives, skills, and networks.
In my experience, I have found that providing coaching to team members is beneficial. However, assigning them a mentor as well can provide them with twice the advice and support. This approach also allows me to offer a mentoring experience to someone on my team. When working with individuals who lack self-confidence, there are three crucial aspects to consider: strong communication, patience, and attainable goals. By breaking down goals into smaller and achievable milestones, their confidence can begin to grow. It is important to let your team members know that you have their back, and they can come to you with transparency. This creates a stronger relationship where they feel supported and encouraged to communicate more confidently.
Finding a great mentor is key to the success of an up and coming leader. They can speak into opportunities and help others to see alternative approaches to the challenges and obstacles they face as they grow in confidence.
A third way to help your team members become more confident and effective leaders is to delegate and empower them. Delegation means assigning tasks and responsibilities to your team members, based on their abilities and interests. Empowerment means giving them the authority and autonomy to make decisions and solve problems. This will help them gain more experience, practice, and feedback, as well as demonstrate their competence and initiative.
As a leader when you assign responsibilities & trust your team members to complete them, it not only builds their confidence but also fosters a sense of ownership & accountability. e.g., giving team member the opportunity to lead project or make decisions can help them overcome their self-doubts. In my view, empowerment goes hand in hand with delegation. By providing team members with the authority to make decisions within their areas of expertise, you allow them to take ownership of their work & develop leadership qualities. Empowering individuals with autonomy and trust could help boost their self-confidence and encourage them to step into leadership roles more effectively. Delegation & empowerment are key strategies for nurturing!
A fourth way to help your team members grow their confidence and leadership skills is to encourage them to take risks and learn from their mistakes. Risk-taking means trying new things, exploring new opportunities, and challenging the status quo. Learning means reflecting on the outcomes, identifying the lessons, and applying them to future situations. This will help them overcome their fear of failure, expand their comfort zone, and innovate.
Understanding that failure is a part of growth is crucial to new leaders who lack the self-confidence necessary to lead powerfully. Creating a culture where failure isn’t viewed as a negative is crucial for new leaders as they step into greater roles and responsibilities. There’s so much learning that can occur as a result of failure that making mistakes should be part of any leader’s growth plan.
A fifth way to help your team members develop their confidence and leadership skills is to celebrate and reward their efforts and achievements. Celebration means acknowledging and appreciating their contributions, both individually and collectively. Reward means providing them with incentives, recognition, or opportunities that match their goals and aspirations. This will help them feel valued, motivated, and inspired.
Imagine someone from team who struggles with self-confidence but has shown potential for leadership. To develop leadership skills, you identify person strengths in project management, problem-solving, & clear communication. To reinforce person's self-confidence & motivation, you delegate the responsibility of leading a crucial team meeting. You provide guidance/support but allow person to make decisions & address the team's challenges. During the meeting, member excels, boosting own confidence in leadership capabilities. As a form of celebration & reward, you publicly acknowledge member's outstanding performance during the meeting, highlighting leadership skills and how they contributed to overall success; it boosts self-confidence!
A sixth way to help your team members build their confidence and leadership skills is to model and inspire them. Model means demonstrating the qualities and behaviors of a good leader, such as vision, integrity, communication, and empathy. Inspire means sharing your stories, challenges, and successes, as well as your passion and purpose. This will help them learn from your example, relate to your journey, and follow your lead.
I typically use story telling approach, to cite my failures and how I overcome those situations effectively, to build confidence in my team members. It worked very well in many instances. I believe failures are part of any growth story, and fear of failure is one of the key component leading to lack of confidence for effective attempts. A leader should identify and coach them to instil confidence.
Few things i found helpful are 1. Provide positive feedback and reconginise thier efforts 2. Encourage and engage them in sharing their ideas 3. Voice out their opinions in meetings and discussions 4. Offer support and guidance 5.Celebrate their success and learn from their failures 6. Never be ashamed to share thier views A better leader listens better and builds trust and confidence multiples