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Why Do You Need Confidence to Be a Good Leader?

by | Sep 7, 2021 | Professional Development

 A lack of confidence in Leadership will show up as chaos, frustration and missed deadlines. It will also sabotage productivity and effectiveness…nobody wants a team like that!

You want a team that is intentional and having phenomenal success together! We want to know that we can count on each other and that we are working together in a positive way. When we say team, we mean whether that is at work or at home…these principles and ideals work for BOTH!

You have probably heard the term…fake it until you make it. Well, you don’t have to fake it. You can implement these Attributes immediately and you will build Confidence and come across more confident as a leader.  Nobody wants to follow a leader who lacks confidence. 

So, let’s talk about three Attributes of Confident Leadership.

Attribute #1 – Confident Leaders are Happy and Positive

Being happy and positive allows your confidence to show through. It gives you the ability to deal with the everyday challenges and lead people to solutions. It allows you to have a Can-Do Attitude about whatever comes your way. It creates Leadership without taking things out on others. 

Let’s face it…Nobody wants a leader who is grumpy, stressed out and angry. When you are happy and positive you have a good self-image, and you are influential to others in a positive way. People want to follow you, be around you more and enjoy what you have to offer.

As we are happy and positive regularly with others, they naturally want to follow, and the entire team begins to all have these attributes. When someone is not like this in the group, others notice easily and do not want to be around them.

When have you had a leader that was happy and positive?  

How did that make you feel?

Did they feel more confident to you?

Have you had a leader that was stressed out and hard to work with?

How did that work out?

Attribute #2 – Confident Leaders are Calm in times of difficulty

Being Calm allows the leader to set a course and follow it.

They can stay the course and be dependable.

They are Influential and a Guide.

People can look to this leader with trust and confidence.

When you can remain calm during all situations and lead from this, it is easier to get everyone on board and able to more forward, regardless of the situation.

I want you to think of Chicken Little…

This could be a perfect example of NOT BEING CALM! Have you had a leader that ran around “stirring up issues and creating chaos”?

Did that make you feel that they had confidence in themselves or that they were competent to lead others?

As we remain calm in times of difficulty, we are fostering confidence not only as a leader but sharing it with others so that it can raise their own confidence as well. It will give them an example to follow and will help them to see that it works much better. 

Now, I would like you to think about Migrating Birds, or Geese…

They fly in a format. They have one leader out in front that is leading them. They have a structured path that they are following, and they are on course. Even if the wind is blowing and weather issues occur, they will be in format and are following the leader. Their leader is calm and confident. 

You can see the strength in this leader. Their wings are spread and even the leader’s head is held in a way that shows confidence. It has vision in where it is headed. It is leading by example and is very calm in how it is “showing” the other geese where they are headed.

Perhaps you could consider what kind of a leader you are in your family and your work…Are you Chicken Little or possibly more like the Migrating Goose?

Attribute #3 – Confident Leaders build Trust

It is much easier to Trust a leader that is confident in what they are doing. We all want a trustworthy confident leader, right? How does a confident leader that we can trust show up?

  • They show courage and fortitude.
  • They are ambitious and motivated.
  • They look out for everyone’s best interest rather than their own.
  • They have high integrity and are competent.
  • They are reliable and dependable.
  • They are consistent and calm.
  • They are sincere and have empathy.
  • They have strong self-confidence and are self-assured.
  • They are good LISTENERS and praise the good.
  • They execute with confidence and strong follow through.

I get this is a pretty big list, but it really is just a place to start. 

TRUST is huge! It must be fostered, embraced and implemented in all areas of our lives and our relationships. As you build strong trust you build your confidence. As you trust others, you are more confident. As you prioritize trust into your teams, your team is more confident. Look at this graphic and see how trust plays a huge part.

Take these three attributes seriously and watch how your confidence explodes into reality! You will be happy you did!