“What I needed in my youth was the confidence to trust myself. The challenge of life is to foster confidence in one’s own judgment. What creates success isn’t merely being offered the chance to lead but having the courage to accept a challenge when it is presented.” -Fay Vincent in the 6/13 WSJ

I love the challenge and confidence theme(s) in Fay Vincent’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal, My Youthful Lessons on Leadership (tiered paywall). In my work with emerging and senior leaders, the issue of confidence in one’s own judgment looms large. There are challenges aplenty in our organizations. Too many individuals struggle with whether they trust themselves enough to take on something that seems big, risky, and scary. The self-confidence issue is particularly pronounced for individuals considering a shift from contributor to manager or for those motivated to give more but fearful of the consequences of failure.  

Developing confidence in yourself and your leadership judgment comes with trial and error through experiences.

Start Small to Develop Confidence in Your Abilities

In the article, Vincent rightly suggests, “The process of learning to lead begins in small ways.” I agree. You can lead from where you are now. You don’t need a title. You need a desire to make something better, fix something, or build or create something new. An underlying purpose drives leaders to take chances on themselves and others.

As Vincent suggests, start small. Find a problem and rally support to solve it. Tune in to inefficiencies in processes or communications and work with invested stakeholders to make improvements that reduce friction. Step up to lead an important initiative or project running off the rails. Listen carefully to the challenges your boss is focused on and find ways to help them succeed with those challenges.

Nine Operating Principles to Shore Up Your Self-Confidence 

These help(ed) me. Use or adapt to support growing your belief in you.

  1. Run to the problem. You’ll be visible and vulnerable. That’s a good thing. 
  2. Don’t hesitate to take on an issue because you don’t know the answer. The fun is in discovering the answer with others.
  3. You will usually be wrong before you are right. Expect flak.
  4. When the flak is heavy, you are getting close to the target. Smile and keep flying.—Thanks, Paul and Eric…adapted from their Rules of the Memphis Belle.) 
  5. Remember, you can’t do this alone. You need others for their brains. You gain their support by appealing to their hearts.
  6. Always find a sponsor. Mentors are great for inspiration. Sponsors expose you to leadership opportunities and help you access the right resources.
  7. Let your motivation to fix, build, or create drive your leadership ambitions. Others will thrive on your energy for this work.
  8. Your intentions must be clear. People see self-serving motivation a mile away and won’t give you a chance to lead if they sense you are in it just for you.
  9. You need reps. Ask for opportunities to practice leading. Note to self: it’s all practice. We never perfect leadership.

Don’t Let You Keep You from Leading

I know myself well enough to know that when good, capable professionals express a lack of confidence in their ability to take on a new challenge or move to a larger role, my internal self deflates just a bit. I have to work hard not to show it.

I love the ambiguity and uncertainty of fixing, creating, or building. That’s where the adventure is in our careers. Yet, for some, the ambiguity and uncertainty are the stuff of bad dreams.

Part of deciding to lead is determining whether you care enough to want to create, build, or fix more than you fear criticism or failure. That’s a tough conversation you need to have with you. Don’t delay having this conversation, or you’ll wonder what happened and why you aren’t moving further in your career.

The Bottom-Line for Now

Growing your confidence in your abilities and judgment is a work in progress. Part of this work involves taking small and eventually big leaps of faith in yourself. Something interesting happens when you trust yourself. You might start small, but one day, you end up playing a large role in the lives and careers of many. Learn to take a chance on yourself.

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Art Petty’s New(er) Manager and Senior Manager programs incorporate cohort, 1×1 coaching, and guest expert components to help you strengthen your self-confidence in leading others and leading at scale. They are available as open enrollment or for organizational groups.