Growing Your Leadership Confidence

For many of us as business owners, we feel unprepared for the leadership roles we find ourselves in. Perhaps you wanted to grow a small empire, and maybe you had management experience previously in your career, and yet I talk to so many entrepreneurs who still don’t feel confident about their ability to lead.

It’s a common myth that leadership skills are either something you are either born with or you’re not. The reality is that leadership is a learned skill that you can take steps to improve.

Often, leadership falls into the “learn by doing” category. After all, unless you got an MBA, you probably didn’t take management classes in school.

Here are three proven ways to increase your confidence in your ability to lead your team.

1. Draw on your experience.

Chances are, you’ve actually been leading for most of your life. If you had siblings growing up, if you have a family, or if you are involved in any community organizations, you’ve been a leader.

Remember, leading can mean leading up too. You don’t need to be the CEO, the oldest sibling, or the chair of the committee to be a leader. You probably have lots of leadership experience that you don’t think of in those terms.

Reframe the times in your life when you’ve led, including when you’ve led up. By changing your self-perception to one of leadership strength, you will embody that confidence with your team.

2. Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all uniform.

You might have an idea in your head of what a leader in a business looks like. Dark suit and power tie ring a bell?

Leadership comes in all different stripes, and there are as many different leaderships styles out there as there are successful businesses. Look for inspiration from businesses you want to emulate.

Allow yourself the freedom to experiment with what works for you, knowing some things you try might not work. Take what does work and make it a habit.

3. Empower yourself and your team.

Empower yourself with positive expectations about your leadership ability. Remind yourself of past successes and what you are doing each day to continue succeeding.

At the same time, reframe past failures as learning experiences that have made you a stronger leader. The best leaders are honest and transparent with the people they lead about their imperfections.

So focus on your strengths and leave the rest to your team, empowering them to do what they do best.