Confidence and authority are essential qualities for any leader, but they are not always easy to measure or improve. How can you assess your own level of confidence and authority, and what steps can you take to enhance them? In this article, we will explore some practical tips and strategies for boosting your confidence and authority as a leader.
One of the first steps to measure and improve your confidence and authority is to identify your strengths and gaps as a leader. What are the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that you excel at, and what are the areas that you need to develop or improve? You can use various tools and methods to assess yourself, such as feedback surveys, 360-degree reviews, personality tests, or self-reflection exercises. By knowing your strengths and gaps, you can leverage your assets, address your weaknesses, and set realistic and specific goals for improvement.
An open mindset and willingness to take action is key. No feedback or assessment in the world will be useful if no intention or planning are put in place. Working with an executive coach can help you define measurable outcomes and hold you accountable.
Another key factor that influences your confidence and authority is your credibility and trust among your followers, peers, and superiors. How do you establish and maintain your reputation as a competent, reliable, and ethical leader? You can build your credibility and trust by delivering on your promises, communicating clearly and consistently, acknowledging your mistakes and learning from them, respecting and empowering others, and demonstrating your values and integrity. By building your credibility and trust, you can enhance your influence and impact as a leader.
The principal skill for building trust and credibility is listening deeply. By this, I mean learning to listen to the speaker's words, meaning, and emotions.
Some ways to earn credibility: - be transparent (as much as you are able to) - own up to mistakes - if you don't know an answer, commit to finding it out vs guessing - trust, but verify (don't rely entirely on second-hand information)
Confidence and authority are not only based on your rational and technical skills, but also on your emotional intelligence and resilience. How do you manage your own emotions and those of others, especially in challenging or stressful situations? How do you cope with uncertainty, change, and failure? You can develop your emotional intelligence and resilience by cultivating self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. You can also practice positive thinking, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-care. By developing your emotional intelligence and resilience, you can boost your confidence and authority by being more adaptable, responsive, and optimistic.
Leaders can develop emotional intelligence very quickly by learning how to affect label. Affect labeling, or emotional reflection, occurs when you ignore the speaker's words, read the speaker's emotional data field, and reflect the speaker's emotions with a "you" statement. Practiced over a few months, emotional intelligence will grow exponentially.
One of the most effective ways to measure and improve your confidence and authority is to seek feedback and coaching from others. How do you solicit and receive constructive feedback from your followers, peers, and superiors? How do you use feedback to improve your performance and behavior? How do you find and work with a coach or mentor who can support your development and growth as a leader? You can seek feedback and coaching by being open, curious, and humble. You can also ask specific and relevant questions, listen actively, and act on the feedback. You can also find and work with a coach or mentor who can provide you with guidance, insights, and accountability.
In my experience, only engage a coach who can model the skills you are developing. If the coach cannot practice what is to be learned, you are wasting your time.
Finally, confidence and authority are not static or fixed, but dynamic and flexible. How do you practice and experiment with different styles, approaches, and techniques to enhance your confidence and authority? How do you learn from your successes and failures? How do you challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone? You can practice and experiment by trying new things, taking risks, and seeking opportunities to learn and grow. You can also reflect on your experiences, celebrate your achievements, and learn from your setbacks. You can also challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone by seeking feedback, coaching, and mentoring.
Practice is essential. However, new skills should only be practiced in socially safe, low-risk environments where the cost of making mistakes is low. Incrementally increase the challenge as you build confidence.