Conquer Self-Doubt to Thrive

As a leader, you have undoubtedly faced moments of self-doubt. Whether it's questioning a decision you've made or feeling like you're not qualified for a particular role, self-doubt can hold you back and prevent you from reaching your full potential.

What happens when you experience self-doubt?

• Inhibited decision-making: When a leader is plagued by self-doubt, they may struggle to make decisions. They may second-guess themselves and become paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice. This can lead to missed opportunities or delays in critical decision-making.
• Lack of confidence: Self-doubt can erode a leader's confidence in themselves and their abilities. This can lead to a lack of assertiveness or hesitation in taking necessary risks. It can also impact a leader's ability to inspire and motivate their team, leading to reduced engagement and productivity.
• Increased stress and anxiety: Leaders who struggle with self-doubt may experience increased stress and anxiety. This can impact their mental health and well-being, as well as their ability to effectively manage their team and make sound decisions.
• Reduced innovation: When leaders are consumed by self-doubt, they may be less likely to take risks or pursue new ideas. This can stifle innovation and creativity within the organization, leading to missed opportunities for growth and progress.
• Negative impact on organizational culture: If a leader is struggling with self-doubt, it can create a negative tone within the organization. Team members may pick up on the leader's lack of confidence, which can impact morale and overall organizational culture.

Self-doubt can have a range of negative impacts on leaders, teams, and organizations. It's important for leaders to recognize when they are experiencing self-doubt and take steps to overcome it in order to maximize their potential and lead with confidence.

Who's in the Hot Seat?

Coaching Client:

Sarah is a Senior Vice President of Communications for a major television network

Coaching Challenge:

As a highly respected executive in the media industry, Sarah has accomplished so much in her career. She has led successful teams, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, and launched groundbreaking projects. But despite all her achievements, she often found herself plagued by self-doubt.

Sarah's self-doubt wasn't always obvious to those around her. She projected confidence in meetings and presentations, but inside, she was constantly questioning herself. She would replay conversations in her head, wondering if she had said the right thing. She would worry about making the wrong decision or not living up to her team's expectations.

Conquering Self-Doubt

During a coaching session, Sarah opened up about her struggles with self-doubt. Her Executive Coach listened asked her to reflect on all the successes she had achieved in her career.

As Sarah started to list her accomplishments, she began to see a pattern. She had excelled in areas that aligned with her strengths and passions. She had taken risks and pushed herself outside her comfort zone. And while there had been challenges along the way, she had always found a way to overcome them.

With her Executive Coach's guidance, Sarah began to focus on her strengths and trust her instincts more. She started to challenge her negative thoughts and reframe them in a more positive light. Over time, Sarah's self-doubt began to fade, replaced by a newfound sense of confidence and empowerment.

Specific strategies that can helped Sara overcome self-doubt: 

Acknowledged and accepted her feelings. Self-doubt is a natural human emotion, and it's okay to feel it from time to time. The first step in overcoming self-doubt is to acknowledge and accept your feelings. By acknowledging and accepting her feelings, Sarah:

• Become more aware of her emotions and how they affected her thoughts and behaviors.
• Deepened her authenticity and openness with others. This led to deeper and more meaningful relationships with her friends, family, and colleagues.
• Built her resilience and helped her cope with difficult situations more effectively. By accepting her emotions, Sarah developed a greater sense of self-confidence and inner strength.

Challenged her negative thoughts. When she started to doubt herself, Sarah asked herself if her thoughts were based in reality. Often, she created negative scenarios in her mind that were unlikely to happen. By challenging these thoughts, Sarah started to see the situation more realistically. When she challenged her negative thoughts, Sarah:

• Became more aware of her thought patterns and how they affected her emotions and behaviors. This increased her self-awareness, helping her to develop healthier and more positive thought patterns.
• Improved her problem-solving skills. Negative thoughts caused Sarah to have a narrow focus on problems, making it harder for her to see alternative solutions. By challenging negative thoughts, she expanded her perspective and developed more creative solutions to problems.
• Enhanced her self-esteem. Negative thoughts were eroding her self-esteem and self-worth. By challenging these thoughts, Sarah built a more positive self-image and increased her confidence.

Focused on her strengths. Instead of dwelling on her weaknesses, she focused on her strengths. She thought about what she brings to the table and how her unique skills and experiences can benefit her team or organization. By focusing on her strengths, she:

• Improved her performance. Focusing on what she was already good at led her to improving her performance in her personal and professional life.
• Experienced greater satisfaction and engagement. When she used her strengths regularly, she felt more engaged and satisfied with her work and life in general.
• Increased her confidence: Focusing on her strengths increased her confidence, helping Sarah feel more capable and self-assured in her abilities.

Sarah continues to thrive in her role, she became a vocal advocate for others struggling with self-doubt. She shared her own story openly and encouraged her team to embrace their strengths and take risks. Through her leadership, Sarah has transformed not only her own mindset but the culture of her organization as well.

Interested in Executive Coaching?

Book a Consultation

Apply Here

Founder & Executive Coach

Phyllis Reagin

Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? Look no further than Phyllis, a true expert in the field of leadership development and personal growth. With over 20 years of experience in leadership development and an educational background in Psychology and Neuropsychology, Phyllis is uniquely equipped to help you reach your full potential and achieve your goals.

In 2017, Phyllis founded At the Coach's Table, a leadership and team-building company that has helped countless individuals and teams from some of the biggest names in the entertainment and media industry. From ABC to Netflix to ViacomCBS and beyond, Phyllis has coached thousands of trailblazers to success.

With Phyllis as your coach, you'll benefit from her years of experience as a leader with a major entertainment studio and her deep knowledge of effective leadership practices. Whether you're looking to develop your own leadership skills or build a stronger, more effective team, Phyllis has the expertise and proven track record to help you succeed.