Regardless of whether you’re working in-person or remotely, a major key to succeeding in these environments is confidence. Similarly, self-esteem is also important for personal growth, development and fulfillment.
While some may be born with confidence, it doesn’t always come naturally to everyone. Especially for female leaders, their self-esteem in and out of the workplace may be diminished by feelings of imposter syndrome and other societal pressures. Below are four areas women can focus on to improve their confidence both personally and professionally to become a stronger, more empowered version of themselves.
In the Workplace
- Create a Support System
A great way to work on yourself professionally is through the help of your support system. By hiring a professional coach, they can help you expand your confidence and help you grow. Not only will they help you create personalized and individual goals, but they will offer a sense of motivation when your journey becomes challenging and hold you accountable. Chances are, if you have someone in your corner, it will make it that much harder to quit. With a new year here too, 2022 is your year to hire a coach. Now more than ever, a professional coach offers key benefits such as navigating the ever-changing world we are a part of and gives you that competitive edge. With a variety of coaches like strategic coaches, team coaches or speech coaches like myself, the possibilities are endless.
Another way to expand your support system is through talking to other women in your office or broader industry. While working remotely, it’s easy to feel alone and isolated. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to expand your professional network with digital platforms. While many use LinkedIn, you can also expand your professional network with a variety of digital networking alternatives. For example, you can host and attend virtual events like webinars on Meetup when it works for your schedule across a degree of professional categories.
- Identify Areas for Improvement Around Professional Capabilities and Soft Skills
Figuring out where you want to grow and the areas you want to work on can be stressful. There’s plenty of online resources from experts in the professional development space that will help you tremendously through your self-improvement journey. These digital resources cover a wide range of capabilities or skills you may be struggling with, regardless of where you are in your professional career. An important thing to remember is that whether you’re a young employee or a long-term manager, everyone has room to grow. For example, if you’re not confident in public speaking and delivery, try an online mini-workshop like the one I offer on making a strong first impression. Or, if you want to expand your capabilities in persuasive speaking skills, try my Top 10 Delivery Tips. Lastly, in my free online course for impromptu business speaking, you can build confidence in how to communicate on the spot, allowing you to stop rambling or being overcome with fear when asked to answer questions or elaborate after a presentation.
Selecting a mentor is another way to improve on the soft skills you want to grow. Unlike a coach, this mentor can be someone who you know personally, or is internal to your company. It could even be your boss or manager! This way, they can share their experience and how they gained confidence when they were in your shoes. Or, it can be someone who previously was in your department and can still touch on day to day challenges that you may face. By having a mentor with personal experience in your current situation, they will help to create a realistic plan of how to be successful, opportunities to build confidence and ways to advocate for yourself.
Outside of the Office
- Focus on Life Skills You May Not Be Confident In
Similarly to soft skills, online-ready tools can help women gain confidence in areas that they may have less self-esteem in, like fiscal wellness. More specifically, one-third of the financial literacy gap is explained by lower confidence. But, with increased access and visibility to insightful and informational resources, women can use this to empower themselves and improve their overall self-confidence. By accessing educational, online resources to learn more about financial topics like a good credit score and how it plays into your ability to buy a home and other important purchases you want to make, you will have peace of mind knowing that you can confidently achieve your long-term goals. There are even free online car financing calculators available to help you plan out large expenses such as financing a car and practice mindful money management.
Another way to improve your confidence as it relates to other gender-related financial shortcomings is to expand your personal library with educational resources. Not only do women have lower confidence in financial literacy, but they are less likely to own stocks. By regularly exposing yourself to financial jargon and terminology, you can improve your overall knowledge in these areas. For example, financial dictionaries or online financial glossaries can expose you to and build your comfort around terms like “mortgages” or “lenders.” While it may not be a light read, finding 10 – 15 minutes every day to sharpen these skills can help you to feel more comfortable.
- Remember that Overall Wellness is a Balance of Confidence and Wellbeing
Remember, improving your confidence professionally and personally will be a transition! It will not be done overnight, and you may experience some growing pains. To make this process more enjoyable, ease your fears with a supportive group. In an intimate setting such as a Toastmasters club, you can work on your self-confidence in a low-risk environment. Rather than being intimidated to try new things, you can practice confidence building without adding more stress to your experience. It’s important to tell yourself too that in these situations, it’s okay to make mistakes as you will not face any negative consequences. If you are not interested in joining a separate group, build confidence with your immediate friends or family that you trust.
Lastly, growing your self-esteem does not have to always be an uphill battle. To do this, accentuate and celebrate what you’re already confident in. If you feel confident in approaching new people, give yourself a pat on the back the next time you introduce yourself to someone new. Or, if you’re comfortable with making eye contact in personal or professional settings, recognize when you are. And, when you find yourself demonstrating confident body language, don’t take it for granted and always remember to celebrate your small wins.
When building confidence personally and professionally, always remember to have patience and grace for yourself. While at times you may be discouraged, never forget that there are always people and resources to help you on your journey.