Tapping Into Your Inner Confidence

I love visiting preschool and TK programs. The children are fearless!

And then they become 4th graders and 7th graders and something gets lost along the way. After a college and years in the workplace, for many of us, that confidence becomes our Achilles heal...in a really bad way.

For women, its more of a challenge. First, we face double standards in the workplace (and beyond) that can leave us second guessing where we can expand our skill sets. Because we aren't always treated the same as others, the level of our performance may be perceived one way yet others whose efforts and performance are less than are often given a pass or promoted. Other times, the double standards stem from judgmental scenarios where, from the start, its a lose/lose.

Secondly, we seem to forget that we have strengths....MANY strengths...that we simply need to share with others. Recognizing what we are good at and sharing those gifts makes us more life like, more relatable, more well-rounded beyond just being a leader. These days, I'm all about succulents and its amazing how many coworkers are sharing the same hobby. We now swap cuttings. How fun is that? The nice things it that it gives us something to talk about beyond work.

A third step to consider....challenge yourself. Or tell someone you work with that you need a little push. Find a stretch goal and go slay it. Talk about confidence...its most certainly a solid boost to anything you might be feeling.

Whatever you decide to do with that confidence....do it like a little kid with a cape. Even if its invisible, you'll certainly feel more invincible. That power is at work within you....you just need to feel it at work.