If you're a leader lacking confidence, here's how your brain can save you

E65: 3 Steps to Brain-Powered Confidence

Coledale Round, Lake District National Park, England

It's a total contradiction, but it's true.

Last week I said that the biggest destroyer of your performance at work is your brain. This week I'm saying it can save you by giving you the confidence that you might be missing as a leader.

Even though the solution that I shared last week is to say "no" (sometimes) to an overactive, doom-mongering brain and, instead, tune in to the wisdom inside our body, there are times when our brain can - and should - hog the limelight.

Maybe you're …

Doubting you have the right skills to deal with a crisis that's arisen

Feeling exposed because you don't know if the decision you want to make is the best one

Sensing there's something not right with the team, and you think it's to do with you

If you're struggling with your confidence as a leader, I’ve shared below three steps to creating your own brain-powered confidence.

1. Leading is about who you are

As we gain more experience at work, we refine our skills in certain specialist areas, like spotting fraud in organisations or identifying the weak points when a joint venture goes wrong.

When we step into leadership roles, it's easy to focus our energies on continuing to demonstrate those skills, and how good we are at them. 

Yet the people in our teams are looking to us for something different, like:

our guidance

recognition that they matter

commitment to our actions matching our words

creating a sense of belonging

All of that is about how we show up in the world, rather than our expertise.

Leading is about how you show up - your being - rather than what you do.

2. Identify the leader you want to be

So how do you want to show up as a leader?

I was coaching a client recently called "Jim". He's a talented executive producer and was unsure of the role he wanted to take up next. He was fearful that his talent wouldn't be recognised, and that he'd have to settle for something that didn't spark his creative genius.

It was only him telling himself this story, of course!

We focused on how he wanted to show up instead - the type of leader he wanted to be.

Instead of coming from a place of fear, Jim said he wanted to lead "with curiosity and adventure".

If you're feeling a bit of fear right now, try listening to last week's 2-minute audio recording that will help you get out of your ruminating thoughts and into the wisdom in your body.

Then, take a moment to consider what kind of leader you want to be.

3. Be that leader now

Naturally, Jim asked next, 

"So, how do I lead with curiosity and adventure?".

It was a great question. 

It's all well and good to identify the kind of leader you want to be, but how do you actually be that in real life?

It's simple: Don't Wait, Start Now!

If you want to be a leader who is curious and has a sense of adventure, be that person right now!

There's no need to wait.

There's no need to let your brain tell you all the reasons why: 

You "can't" or 

You're "not ready" or 

It's "not the right time"

Invite your brain instead to focus on answering three questions. For Jim, these were:

What would a curious, adventurous leader feel right now?

What would a curious, adventurous leader think right now?

What would a curious, adventurous leader do right now?

I know you'll know the answers for yourself.

When you have them, don't wait, start being that person.

👉 Over to you!

  1. Who is the leader you want to be?

  2. What would that leader feel, think and do right now?

  3. Don't wait, start being that leader right away!

ps If you’re an entrepreneur, a lawyer or another high-flying professional - who’s looking to bring joy back into your work and home life - by building a healthy brain for a career that’s full of success in a way that feels effortless, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

That’s it for this week!

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To your health and success!

Eric