Building Confidence

Dear Empowered Women,

Welcome to our latest newsletter from Take Her Lead!

Today, we’re diving into a topic that is near and dear to our hearts: confidence.

Cultivating confidence is not just a skill – it’s a superpower that empowers us to embrace our truest selves, pursue our dreams fearlessly, and conquer the world with grace and resilience.

When I was leading teams of teams (up till a few months ago), the biggest fulfilment and satisfaction for me was when the women in the team started to radiate confidence and courage in standing up for what they believe in, even when the conversation or outcome could be difficult for the person on the other end.

How did they do it?

They embraced vulnerability - they allowed themselves to take risks, make mistakes, learn from failure. They reframed failure as an opportunity for growth and viewed vulnerability as a strength. They also had a supportive environment, deeply rooted in psychological safety and trusted that mistakes were just lessons to be learnt from - a natural part of life to be worked through with grace and resilience.

Confidence can be taught, it's a skill that we cultivate through action and experience.

How?

1. Take The First Step: Confidence comes from moments where we succeed at challenging tasks or achieve our goals. When we take action and see positive outcomes, our confidence grows as we internalize our capabilities and skills. Each success reinforces our belief in ourselves and our ability to tackle future challenges.

2. Social Modeling: (aka Fake it Till You Make It) Observing others who demonstrate confidence can also influence our own self-assurance. Through social modeling, we learn by example, observing how others navigate situations with poise and self-assurance. By witnessing their successes, we gain confidence in our own abilities and behaviors, mirroring their confidence in our own actions.

3. Positive Reinforcement: Positive feedback plays a crucial role in confidence development. When others recognize and acknowledge our accomplishments, skills, and strengths, it validates our efforts and boosts our self-esteem. Whether it’s praise from peers, mentors, or loved ones, positive feedback reinforces our belief in ourselves and bolsters our confidence to take on new challenges. It is also important to reframe our mistakes as lessons to learn from.

4. Flip The Script: Our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, known as cognitive appraisals, heavily influence our confidence levels. By challenging negative self-talk and replacing it with positive affirmations and realistic self-appraisals, we can shift our mindset towards greater self-assurance. Changing our internal dialogue empowers us to approach challenges with optimism and resilience, ultimately boosting our confidence in our abilities to overcome obstacles.

5. One Step At A Time: Confidence-building is a journey, and it often involves taking small, incremental steps towards our goals. By setting achievable objectives and gradually expanding our comfort zones, we build confidence through each successful milestone. Each step forward reinforces our belief in our abilities and strengthens our confidence to tackle increasingly complex challenges.

Confidence is not about pretending to be someone you’re not – it’s about embracing your authentic self and showing up as your truest, most empowered self.

I wish you well on this journey of confidence-building. I am here with you to help you unlock your full potential, embrace your uniqueness, and step into the radiant confidence that lies within you.

With determination and grace,

Nina Devouge

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Take Her Lead