what can self-confidence do for you?

"Confidence gives you courage and extends your reach. It lets you take greater risks and achieve far more than you ever thought possible. Building self-confidence in others is a huge part of leadership. It comes from providing opportunities and challenges for people to do things they never imagined they could do – rewarding after each success in every way possible."

That is what Jack Welch says in the very first chapter of his book, "Straight From the Gut". Jack Welch should know. He started as an engineer at GE, and became CEO in 1980. For each year since 1999, it has been Fortune's Global Most Admired Company, and for each year since 1998 to 2001, Financial Times's World's Most Respected Company - just to name two of GE's accolades.

The higher our level of self-confidence, the more able we are to do and achieve what we want. Imagine what you could achieve if you had a higher level of self-confidence. Imagine what your business could achieve if all individuals in your organisation had more self-confidence.

Yet, think about it, and you will probably agree that much of society and our educational system, as a whole, do not provide for the nurturing and building of self-confidence.

When we are learning to walk, we receive unending encouragement and support. In addition, the child doesn’t even consider the thought that he or she won’t walk; it’s taken for granted. However, as we grow up, we learn to notice our faults, the gaps, the problems, what is missing and what went wrong. So much easier to see the little black spot than the massive sea of white!

Jack Welch goes on to explain how he grew up with a stammer. Whilst many would notice that and label it as a speech impediment, or a well-intended parent or teacher would try to teach the child not to stammer, Jack’s mother told him instead, "It’s because you’re so smart. No one’s tongue could keep up with a brain like yours." She reframed what many might see as an impediment into something positive and empowering.

Self-confidence comes from self-image, and is a product of our own inner thinking about ourselves. That self-image controls our behaviour, determining what we do or do not accomplish. It also determines what we perceive as easy or difficult. It works unceasingly, and as scientifically and surely as the sun rises in the East. In other words, we determine what we achieve, precisely and unceasingly, according to what we think about ourselves.

Just because we are adults and "grown-up", it doesn’t mean that our needs are no longer as they were when we were children learning to walk. We still thrive on encouragement and support. Create an environment that does this and you will see the results in your profits. Just as Jack Welch did.

Consider this Principle

We limit ourselves only through limiting our thinking.

Action Points

1. Look out for and acknowledge strengths and talents.

2. Stop the inner critic.

3. Look out for what is going well or right, and celebrate successes.

4. Openly acknowledge, praise and appreciate the situation and/or person, including yourself.

5. Learn to accept and pay sincere compliments at face value.

6. Focus on the positive aspects of any seeming negatives.

7. Then determine what can be made even better and do it.

Quote

"Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings." - Samuel Johnson

"When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things." - Joe Namath

"Perhaps the greatest gift [my mother] gave me was self-confidence. It's what I've looked for and tried to build in every executive who's ever worked with me. Confidence gives you courage and extends your reach. It lets you take greater risks and achieve far more than you ever thought possible. Building self-confidence in others is huge part of leadership. It comes from providing opportunities and challenges for people to do things they never imagined they could do - rewarding then after each success in every possible way." - Jack Welch

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