“Your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.” –Michelle Obama 

What is it that makes us want to follow an effective and inspiring leader?? What trait sets that leader apart from the rest?? We have discussed several leadership traits including self-awareness, agility, fearlessness, grit, and resilience.  But there is one characteristic which transcends the rest. It’s what sets strong leaders apart from their colleagues.  

That trait is CONFIDENCE! 

Without confidence, your leadership is dead. Without confidence, your team will try to usurp and undermine your position because you lack the mindset it takes to lead an organization.  Confidence is the foundation of leadership.  You can teach a leader to be an effective problem solver; a better communicator; more decisive and many other fundamentals of leadership.  Yet, without the leader first believing in himself or herself, they will never truly lead.  Self-confidence is the foundation upon which leadership is built.   An organization built upon a leader who lacks self-confidence is like building a house on a foundation of sand. The structure will ultimately crumble.   

Let’s face it, a humble confident leader is admired by people.  People tend to trust them more and believe they are more competent.  This makes people want to follow and work with and for this type of leader.   

A confident leader will typically: 

• Be Happier: they have a can-do attitude and are very positive about their ability to lead people and handle challenges.   
• Have better relationships: They feel good about themselves and thus enter positive relationships.  They tend to treat people well and are in return treated well. 

• Laugh More: They can laugh at situations and see the humor in life and even difficult situations.  They can put things into perspective.  
• Be motivated and ambitious: a confident leader is highly motivated to set goals and achieve them.   The believe in their work and believe in their purpose.  
• Take risks: Confident leaders do not play it safe. They take calculated risks and are willing to learn from their mistakes. 
• Accept feedback: They are receptive to feedback and are willing to adjust. People feel comfortable coming to them with ideas for improvement, helping the leader to continue to grow and improve.  
• Think for themselves: A confident leader has strong core values and will pick their own course of action. They are easy to follow because their words and actions are consistent and aligned.  

Remember, confidence separates mediocre leaders from exceptional leaders.  Without confidence, one will find it hard to make difficult decisions, lead with authority, get people to communicate or to be open to feedback.  Without confidence, no one will believe in you … because you don’t believe in yourself.   

So, stand up tall, chin up, and smile. Radiate confidence in all your interactions.  When people feel your confidence, they will trust you and be more willing to invest their time, energy and loyalty to ensure the success of your team and organization.   

Please Like and Share if you are a confident leader.