Why Self-Belief Is Vital For Business Leaders
The desire to lead a business in itself requires a certain level of self-belief. But believing in yourself is something all of us must continue to work on. There can be, of course, many ups and downs along the way relating to your company or job role, but it’s vital, even if you go through something like Splitting Up with your partner. or another challenging personal experience, to keep up the confidence and belief to ensure success. Here, we look at what self-belief actually means and how you can build on yours.
What is self-belief?
Simply put, self-belief is the ability to trust one’s self in the ability to perform tasks and achieve. For example, someone with self-belief will have an inner voice that says: “I can do this if I put my mind to it.” For a leader in business, it’s important to have strong self-belief because there can be many obstacles to tackle along the way. Having a strong level of confidence helps to avoid feelings like self-doubt and imposter syndrome which can be deterrents for success.
Self-belief for leaders
When you are a leader, you will need to have a healthy range of skills, including technical abilities, financial acumen, emotional and social intelligence and a strong vision. But it is self-belief that will provide the ability to harness all of these skills, and allow you to:
Make other members of your team also feel confident when you lead the way with strength and self-trust
Take calculated risks that benefit your business
Understand that if challenges come your way, you can handle them
Handle negative feedback in a way that helps you grow and improve your company
Self-belief will also help you manage your stress levels well
Overcoming a wobble in self-belief
Handling self-doubt is a skill you will need to develop as a crisis of confidence can appear at any interval. Unexpected challenges such as unforeseen issues with employees, supply chain glitches, cash flow problems, competitor activity or customer service difficulties.
To sustain self-belief and maintain confidence, it’s important to remain focussed on your strengths and not on your limitations or weaknesses. If you focus on the negatives, it’s easy to become drawn into an energy and time vacuum.
Also, for business leaders and entrepreneurs, concentrating on your positive achievements will help you recognise and remind yourself what you have accomplished. Try to bring this period of reflection into your regular routine at work, for example, arrange for regular one to ones with a mentor.
While asking for feedback can feel daunting for fear of perceived criticism, it is one of the most valuable things you can do as a leader or manager. Having self-belief means being able to acknowledge areas where you can improve and will ultimately increase your performance and continue to build your confidence.
Also, if you have the belief that your skills are set in stone, for example, ‘I am not good with numbers’ then it is likely your mathematical abilities will not be addressed and will not improve. However, with a growth mindset you will begin to learn that aptitude and skills are not as predetermined as you might think, and that actually they can often be developed over time. This regular approach will help steer you through day-to-day challenges and further bolster your self-belief.
In conclusion
Confidence is typically not something all of us are born with. It takes time to build and during that time, you should be doing the right things: gaining feedback and acting on it, challenging yourself, developing a mindset of growth and reminding yourself of your achievements.
