How to honestly assess your leadership confidence (and what to do next)
As I've been writing about leadership confidence these past three weeks (part 1, part 2 & part 3), a natural question keeps popping up:
"Which stage of the Leadership Confidence Ladder am I really in, and what's the smallest change I can make to start moving up?"
In other words, how do I get honest about the impact I have on others, and what do I do to get better?
The Reality About Leadership Confidence
Here's the deal: feeling confident as a leader isn't a linear path.
On any given day, your feeling of confidence will waver or swell based on your circumstances.
Even the best leaders have moments of self-doubt and feel less confident.
However, if you go back to the previous posts in this series, you'll see that leadership confidence isn't about a feeling you feel.
It's how you show up for your team and the impact you make on your organization and employees.
So, if you want to be honest about the Leadership Confidence Ladder stage you're really in, you have to start by examining the impact of your leadership.
Three Ways to Assess Your Leadership Impact
There are a few ways you can do this:
1. Do a Self-Analysis
How are you spending your days as a leader? How do you think you come across to employees?
And my favorite question to ask: What do you think it's like to be led by you, both positively and negatively?
2. Examine Your Team's Performance
Where is the team succeeding? Where is the team experiencing persistent roadblocks? What needs to change?
Look for patterns in both struggles and successes—they often reveal your leadership impact more clearly than you might expect.
3. Identify Your Workplace Culture's Current State
How would you define the overall feeling and mood of your culture? How are people being shaped and formed by your culture? How have you accidentally shifted your culture by how you've been leading?
What to Do With Your Assessment
As you examine these areas, it may become clearer to you which stage of leadership confidence you're in.
If you're in a higher stage: Awesome! Your next move is to consider what it would take to move up a stage.
If you're in a lower stage: Don't judge yourself. That's not helpful for anyone!
Instead, embrace the clarity and honesty you have about your current stage. Then, focus on improving.
The Key to Building Real Confidence
Here's my encouragement to you: let go of chasing the feeling.
And turn your attention toward the impact you make.
You'll never feel confident in the way you desire to feel.
BUT!
If you can see that you're making a bigger impact, you'll feel more confident.
So, when you feel less confident about your role as a leader, ask yourself a simple question:
What can I do today to make a bigger positive impact on those around me?
Maybe it's:
Meeting with an employee to see how you can help
Offering feedback on an idea someone had
Letting someone know that they are doing a great job at work
Whatever it may be, turn your attention toward others and the impact you can make on them.
Confidence will surely follow.
Moving Forward
The path to greater leadership confidence isn't about waiting until you feel ready—it's about focusing on the impact you can make right now.
Start with honest self-assessment, identify where you are on the Leadership Confidence Ladder, and then take one small step toward making a bigger positive impact on those around you.
Ready to Take Your Leadership to the Next Level?
As we wrap up this series on leadership confidence, what has been most useful for you? I'd love to hear about your insights and help you create a plan for moving up the Leadership Confidence Ladder. Contact me to share your thoughts and discuss your leadership development journey.