Inner Confidence Coupled with Humility

by John Keyser

The critical subject of inner confidence comes up often in my leadership-coaching practice.  Possessing inner confidence is so helpful, and lacking it is so limiting.

Let’s examine what we mean by “inner confidence.” It’s certainly not cockiness.  It’s just the opposite. In fact, inner confidence enables us to have humility, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. When we have inner confidence, we:

• Realize that asking for help is a sign of strength
• Allow ourselves to help others learn, grow and succeed
• Want our colleagues to do great work
• Are comfortable sharing credit for success
• Shine the spotlight on others

Humility coupled with inner confidence gives us the ability to get over ourselves as managers and focus on helping others as leaders. Managers focus on numbers; leaders focus on people. By practicing two behaviors, positive energy and servant leadership, we build our inner confidence.

Positive Energy
Negativity does not serve us well. Don’t be negative about others or yourself. Recognize your strengths, and feel good about them. Think like an athlete, for example, I can do this, I can make this shot. And if you are not coordinated and are not an athlete, carry yourself like one, i.e., stride purposefully into a room, head high, shoulders back, maintaining a smile and comfortable eye contact with others.

Servant Leadership
Be a giver. Be genuinely interested in, curious about and encouraging and helpful to others. Servant leaders lead by example to develop a team spirit in which everyone loves their work and their company, respects senior management, and collaborates with one another. Servant leaders help their people believe that we can be all about the team, not about ourselves. Others’ success is our success.

There is a lot of more in-depth information out there—principles, practices and helpful tips to boost our inner confidence. I am a big believer in reading one good leadership or other helpful book a month. The good news is that they are quick reads today, about 100 to 200 pages. You are bound to come away with a couple of good ideas. Only read one a month, then practice what you take from a book over the next three or four weeks.

Inner confidence coupled with humility will help each of us become a more effective leader and a better person!