“Fostering confidence is really the missing ingredient for women when it comes to leadership,” journalist Claire Shipman commented at the 2018 Society for Human Resource Management’s Leadership Development Forum. Women tend to underestimate their qualifications and abilities, while men tend to overestimate theirs. However, struggling with confidence is not an experience limited to any age group or gender.

A good business leader should develop the ability to identify capable individuals whose natural talents are stifled by a lack of confidence. A failure to do so is not only unfair to those individuals but also detrimental to the organization as a whole. This article looks at ways business leaders can help develop confidence and leadership skills in all their employees.

Fostering Confidence in Your Team

Fortunately, confidence is a trait that can be nurtured. There are three key areas where your efforts should focus.

  1. Promote Discussion. One of the most obvious signs of a lack of confidence is the reluctance to contribute in meetings or discussions. Often overlooked as unknowledgeable, these individuals often have deep insight gleaned from observing proceedings at length. Engage them and solicit specific feedback. Most leaders are surprised by the incisive answers they receive.
  2. Thoughtful Feedback. Each person processes feedback differently. Research shows that women are especially susceptible to negative comments, even when they are accompanied by positive ones. Temper the manner in which you deliver criticism to each recipient. It can become an impetus for real improvement for both the individual and the company.
  3. Challenging Assignments. Sometimes, a gentle push in the right direction can achieve more than all your words. Dispel a lack of confidence by encouraging participation in stretch assignments that lie outside their comfort zone. Truly capable individuals will come to recognize their own worth when they find themselves thriving in new, unfamiliar environments.

Communicating with Confidence

Confidence is critical to good communication. The very same ideas conveyed by a confident speaker sound much less convincing if we hear them from someone less so. In fact, body language and mannerisms can sometimes be more important than the words themselves.

While working on your confidence itself can take time, good body language can project it immediately. Some of the simplest, yet most effective techniques to exude confidence are:

  1. Good posture. Avoid slouching, downcast eyes, and excessive leaning on objects for support.
  2. Eye contact. This can be scary, even for experienced speakers. Looking just above the heads of your audience works just as well.
  3. Watch Your Actions. Nervousness may manifest in subconscious behavior like tapping your feet or wringing your hands.
  4. Watch Your Words. Avoid space fillers (such as umm, ahh, and like) that pepper the speech of unconfident speakers.

The ultimate source of confidence, though, is sureness of purpose. If you believe in the value of the content that you are sharing, that belief manifests itself in your presentation. Please contact me today if you have any questions about fostering communication and confidence in your team.