Low on confidence? – Here’s how to change that…

Whist external factors and restrictions definitely play their part in affecting our moods, reaching a goal is largely related to belief in one’s ability. Having the right mindset is all about your personal confidence, your perception and your ideas for the future. You must believe you can lead at the next level to make this a reality...  

A limiting mindset – Expectations, reality and frustration

When your expectations are met, this can be seen as satisfactory, pleasing even, and when your expectations are exceeded by reality, this produces delight. However, when results fall short of what you hoped, this can lead to frustration, which if left to develop, can become a detrimental influence, in and of itself. Becoming submerged by these feelings and your enthusiasm, and therefore, your productivity will be damaged, thus producing further discontent in a viscous cycle.

What can be particularly frustrating is when those around you, whether this be work colleagues or family, cannot understand your current dissatisfaction. From an exterior perspective your business seems to be running well and bringing in profit, but you know things could be better. Maybe you would like to streamline some of your processes to make them more efficient, or reassess your strategy to think ahead. This ambitious mindset is a prerequisite of being a leader; you don’t have to settle.

A missing element – Fearlessness

Fear is omnipresent, in one form or another. Living without fear is almost impossible and as the leader of a business, you will have to navigate a variety of ever evolving concerns. It is natural to feel nervous or trepidatious and this can sometimes be beneficial in choosing the right decision. However, there is a point where these doubts must be dismissed for you to assume the most positive mindset and produce the best outcomes.

You may be feeling:

A fear of failure – this is a natural doubt that you will reach the goals you have set, and therefore, have to deal the consequences of this shortfall.

A fear of success – less regarded but equally inhibiting is the uncertainty surrounding meeting one’s targets. What will newfound success bring? How will this change the way my leadership and company must work?

It’s natural to perceive the future with caution. Not knowing what to expect deprives us of the consistency that breeds confidence. The good news is that everybody is in the same boat. Reading the future is impossible, but by preparing yourself in the best possible way, you give your business the best advantage. As a business coach, I know that discovering this confidence isn’t immediate and takes some building, through reinforcing areas of less understanding and embracing new ways of thinking.

A different perspective – The balancing act

One of the great skills of life is finding that perfect balance between optimism and pragmatism.

While optimism is broadly accepted as the preferable of the two attributes, pragmatism does have the advantages of making your approach more realistic and flexible. This can be particularly useful during planning stages. I do however, encourage my clients to adopt a 75% optimism and 25% pragmatism strategy. This gives you enough positivity to continue moving productively forward, as well as enough realism to ensure you are properly considering your actions.

A key role as leader is to inspire those around you. Those people who didn’t understand your frustration and were willing to accept the satisfactory, have to be convinced to your way of thinking. Share your optimism with them, by adapting your leadership to suit their perspectives. Whether this means altering the way you present to your employees, or tweaking the company culture, you need to demonstrate to people that ‘this isn’t it.’

My message to you as an ambitious leader is to appreciate how well you have done to run a business in the first place. All new projects are uncertain at first; think of how man you have achieved success with already.

Nurture a positive mindset within yourself and so much more will seem possible.

Book a FREE, no commitment Introductory Call with me if you are interested in discussing whether I may have the solutions to your challenges.  

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