As leaders we often have to deal with scenarios that are uncomfortable. As your leadership role elevates, so does the amount of uneasiness that you have to manage on a daily basis.
Just because you’re in an uncomfortable situation though, it doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. This could look something like delivering an important presentation or speaking to a crowd of people. Though these things are often uncomfortable, they are not negative. However, sometimes these uneasy circumstances are uncomfortable because they are negative. This could be something like having to initiate a tough conversation with an underperforming team member of dealing with offense or attack against your leadership.
Because a leader’s week is filled with a mix of different types of uneasiness, it can be easy to fall into a state of fear or paralyzation if you’re not careful. Here are a few tips for developing and maintaining your confidence as a leader and eliminating fear.
1. Be Outwardly Minded
Often when we are thinking only about ourselves, our discomfort can be magnified. When you arrive at the moment when you have to have that confrontational meeting with a team member, you absolutely cannot go into that thinking only of yourself. You must think about how it effects the individual and how it effects the team. Thinking of their best interest will allow you to be more realistic about what needs to happen and it will give you courage to carry it out.
2. Be Solution Focused
We can often lose confidence when we jump into uncomfortable situations focused on the problem rather than the solution. Focusing on problems is a confidence killer. Instead, recognize that you have solutions to offer that will resolve problems. Ask yourself where a person will land if nothing is done, and then following it by asking yourself where they’ll land if a significant change occurs.
3. Know Who You Are
It’s important to understand that you were placed in a role of leadership on purpose. That means you are the right person for the job. You have what it takes. Because you were chosen for this position, that means that you have the answer and you have what it takes to accomplish the goals. Stand firm in that and your confidence will begin to elevate.