by Sheri West, Founder & Chief LiveGirl
Photo Credit: Sophie Westfall
Given my background in leadership development, including a long corporate career and role as Chief LiveGirl working with thousands of teen girls, I am often asked about the roadmap to building confidence. For every one of us, it’s a different journey, but along the way I have found three key steps that everyone can take to become a more confident leader.
Fail: You may not understand this at first. We don’t see failure around us because everyone curates a perfect life on social media. How does embracing failure lead to increased confidence? Well, the more swings you take, the more balls you’ll miss, but you’ll also be more likely to score some home runs. So, embrace failure. Start saying yes to new opportunities and experiences. Raise your hand. Pitch your idea. Submit your resume. I guarantee that you WILL fail, but you will also SUCCEED, which will boost your confidence. Think about it: if you don’t attempt anything, you won’t get anywhere. But if you put yourself out there, you’ll run into a lot of possibilities.
Speak Up: To build confidence, you must build skills that make you feel more confident — like public speaking, conflict resolution, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and assertive communication. Seek out opportunities to learn and practice these skills because confidence is like a muscle; the more you flex it, the stronger it becomes. Based upon both my corporate and youth development experience, the skill I most often see lacking in young women is public speaking. I get it, it’s scary at first. So is raising your hand in the classroom or participating in a meeting. I promise that if you start speaking up more, even while you still have an uncomfortable pit in your stomach, public speaking will become easier and easier and nothing to be afraid of! Besides, the world needs to hear what you have to say!
Branch Out: Trying new things and meeting new people breeds confidence. Why? Because self-esteem cannot be taught, but rather, it must be earned. You “earn” confidence points every time you step outside of your comfort zone, acquire diverse experiences or build diverse relationships, because these experiences develop empathy and make you an inclusive, confident leader. I also recommend that all young leaders develop a personal “Board of Directors.” A “Board of Me.” What does this mean? Picture yourself as the CEO of your personal company. Who do you want to surround yourself with for insight, support, and advice? Who do you want to surround yourself with for insight, support, and advice? Who will serve on your "Board of Me"? Actively network to build your Board and secure the necessary support to navigate the teen years and grow into a successful, confident leader.
