What Top B2B Leaders Want You to Know About Confidence

“Confidence” is a loaded word for me. It’s certainly not something I was born with. It’s not even something I had when I launched into adulthood. I’ve worked hard to cultivate it, though, and at this point in my life, I can say I’m a solid 50-50 in terms of believing in myself on any given day.?

These days, confidence is on my mind a lot. It’s clear that in this economy, we can’t afford to operate on guesswork and shaky foundations. We need to be confident in ourselves, our companies, and our efforts if we want to continue to grow and thrive in uncertain times.?

The bold will win

I can understand the desire to retreat, or sit on the sidelines and wait for these headwinds to pass. But I think that’s the wrong approach. In fact, I firmly believe that the leaders who treat this downturn as a chance to reset, who recognize the advantages and opportunities others don’t see, and who approach those opportunities boldly are the ones who will come out ahead when all is said and done.

I’ve heard similar sentiments from other business leaders who have lived through their share of ups and downs. I asked them to share their thoughts on confidence, and here’s what they had to say.

Retool, reinvent, and upskill

Mary Shea, Co-CEO of tech company Mediafly and former Forrester analyst, has lived through several downturns in her three decades in the business world. Her advice to professionals is to embrace the disruption and use it as an opportunity to retool, reinvent, and upskill. In a recent interview, she offered this guidance: “Use this as a time to reinvent yourself, reinvent your company, and be opportunistic while 90% of the business world is hunkering down and waiting for this thing to pass over.”

Confidence is contagious

David Rudnitsky, a sales leader with 37 years of experience, was instrumental in building Salesforce from $51M to $5B. He argues that confidence is contagious and breeds success. People feel more comfortable when they see confidence in those they’re working with.?

“When you walk in a room, and you're confident, and you're in a challenging situation, people feel so much more comfortable when they see that confidence,” he says. “Here's what happens. One, you instill confidence in your coworkers, your boss, your partners. Two, you instill confidence with your customers or prospects because they're like, ‘I want to jump on that train and I want to go forward with you.’”

Tactical, practical tools for building confidence

But how exactly can we go about building confidence, especially when the world around us feels shaky? Amy Volas, Founder & CEO of Avenue Talent Partners (ATP) , leans on journaling. When we’re unsure about something, it is easy to spin out and become overwhelmed. Writing things down helps slow thoughts down, allowing for intentional reflection.?

Volas recommends asking a series of questions every day, such as "What's kicking me in the rear-end? What am I leaving behind? What am I proud of? And what did I want to do, and what did I actually do?" By doing this and looking back over three weeks, she’s able to identify patterns and themes. Volas also uses a color-coded system on a calendar to visually track good and bad days. Looking at that record and seeing that the good outbalances the bad (usually by a lot) gives her the confidence to keep moving forward, adjusting where necessary.

Leaders have a role to play, too

Lars Nilsson, VP Global Sales Development at Snowflake , believes that confidence is key to success in sales. That’s why when he’s hiring, he looks for self-motivated, confident people with high self-esteem. But he also puts some responsibility on sales leaders to build confidence in their teams, particularly through enablement.?

“I want [sellers] to learn and see what really, really good looks like and then release them into the wild, enabled and trained so they feel confident. When they wake up the next morning and they make that first call, they're going to have butterflies in their stomach, but they're going to get over it. And they're going to have listened to others who messed up, and they're going to realize, ‘That’s okay, I'm going to try again.’”

Proceed with confidence

The pandemic has changed how businesses operate, and the current economic uncertainty presents us with two choices: Sit on the sidelines and see how it shakes out, or be bold and seize the opportunities you see.?

As business leaders, we must reassess how we lead during topsy-turvy times. Despite the challenges, these times offer opportunities for reinvention and growth. There’s also no better time to build your confidence than when it’s being put to the test. I believe the leaders who confidently lean into boldness and innovation are the ones that will win.