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| Sharpen your emotional edge.
Welcome to this week's "The EQ Edge." Today, we're exploring confidence. If only we could access this emotion more easily! Picture this: I'm about to give a keynote speech. I'm a bundle of nerves and excitement. What I need is confidence, the calming guide through this emotional storm. But how do I get there? How do we keep in touch with this power energy? That's our mission today – discovering how to access and utilize the strength of confidence effectively. |
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Emotion Spotlight
CONFIDENCE
“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong." - Peter T. McIntyre
Confidence can be hard to find when we need it most. It's not about having everything under perfect control; it's about trusting in our ability to weather any storm that life throws our way. As in the example I shared above, think of it like preparing for something significant and challenging at the same time, like a big speech. You might feel both nervous and excited. In your head, these feelings can seem to fight each other. But when confidence shows up, it brings balance. It listens to what your anxiety is telling you and calms your excitement. This balance lets you do your best, no matter what surprises come along. This is how I understand confidence.
Another element that feeds into confidence is celebrating success. In the rush of always moving to the next task, it's easy to forget to stop and celebrate our achievements. But by taking a moment to relish your success, no matter how small, you can build a 'confidence database.' Every time you achieve something, let yourself feel the joy of that moment. The more you do this, the larger your 'confidence database' becomes. This 'database' can then serve as a reservoir of strength when facing challenges, allowing you to say to yourself, "I've accomplished so much already. I can go even further." That, to me, is a crucial part of what makes up confidence. |
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Understanding CONFIDENCE
Definition: Confidence is a feeling of trust in our capabilities, embodying readiness to face challenges, independent of the outcomes and uncertainties.
Message: "Trust in your abilities and experiences."
Feeling: Confidence often manifests as a sense of calm and assurance. You may find yourself standing taller, speaking assertively, and adopting open body language. Internally, it might be marked by decreased anxiety and a surge in focus and clarity. Recognizing these signs can help you understand and nurture your own confidence.
Intensity Spectrum: Comfort < Confidence < Pride
Note: Here, comfort represents a relaxed state of acceptance, confidence signifies a stronger feeling of trust in one's abilities, and pride emerges as a peak emotion, displaying satisfaction and self-assuredness in one's accomplishments.
CONFIDENCE in Leadership
As a leader, tapping into your confidence is indispensable in fostering a culture of openness, encouraging risk-taking, and promoting learning from failures, which collectively drives success.
Useful when: Confidence is particularly beneficial in decision-making, communicating your vision, and fostering trust among team members.
Not useful when: Confidence can become detrimental when it transforms into overconfidence, causing oversight of potential risks or dismissing others' input.
💡In such cases, question, "Is my confidence helping me stay open to feedback and diverse perspectives?" Striking this balance ensures your confidence empowers rather than isolates.
Communication tips:
- Speak clearly and assertively, but remember to also listen actively, acknowledge the contributions of others, and maintain open lines of communication. For example, you might say "Based on our experience and data, I believe this is the best course of action. However, I'm open to hearing different perspectives." Confidence should serve as a bridge, not a barrier, encouraging open communication and collaboration.
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In this week's exploration of confidence, we've uncovered that this emotion is not about knowing or eliminating the 'uncertainty', but rather about accepting and trusting ourselves to handle anything that comes our way. Furthermore, celebrating our success, no matter how small contributes to building a 'confidence database,' creating a reservoir of strength for future challenges.
In leadership, confidence becomes a dynamic force influencing decision-making, communication, and fostering trust. But be careful of getting overconfident - don’t overlook potential risks and certainly don’t dismiss the input of others. Leverage your confidence as a bridge to connect and empower, not a barrier to isolate or suppress.
True confidence comes from knowing and accepting our capabilities—and our limitations.
As always, we eagerly await your thoughts and experiences.
Until next week, |
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