Seven Mandatory Tips For Aspiring Leaders

Whether you are a new business owner part of a new leader program, or one of many aspiring leaders working toward success, this article will help you learn how to develop solid negotiating skills, and boost your confidence in your profession...

A Guide For Aspiring Leaders To Improve Confidence At Work

Have you ever noticed that those who seem more confident at work tend to take on new challenges? They also seem to put themselves forward for promotions more often and work positively on a day to day basis.

It’s easy to be envious of co-workers who seem to have this trait. Confidence doesn’t always come naturally for everyone, but there are many ways offer greater value to our colleagues and customers at work.

You can work to boost your self-confidence and carry that over into the workplace. Here are seven mandatory tips for aspiring leaders.

1. Abandon Negative Thoughts

"Beating yourself up" is a common form of negativity, making yourself feel worse than you already did. Nothing good ever comes from that, therefore it’s worth learning how to train yourself to shut down these negative voices.

When you have made an error or performed at a less than optimal level, try to assess when the negative feelings occur. Then, turn this round, and start to talk to yourself kindly. Focus on what did go well. Think of encouraging words to say to yourself, and keep repeating them.

This leads to a more positive mindset, and if you can learn to do this every time you would ordinarily think negatively, your confidence will start to improve.

2. Learn New Soft Skills Like Negotiating Tactics

Soft skills are those which come from within us. Almost like traits of our personalities. For aspiring leaders, there is always room for improvement when it comes to personal skills, and they are key to excelling in our profession.

For example, if you work in sales and spend a lot of time speaking to potential suppliers of clients, you’ll benefit from being a strong negotiator. If you can negotiate best prices and quantities so both client and supplier are happy - without sacrificing relationships - everyone involved wins. That is the best possible result!

Solid negotiation skills will benefit you in many areas of life, and there are several ways to learn them, including:

• A mentor
• A mastermind group
• Training via webinar or community organization
• Karrass negotiation seminars held at multiple geographic locations

Even if you just want to learn the art of time management, the key is finding the right aspiring leaders program for you to fulfill your personal professional development goals and thrive at your job.

3. Boost Your Subject Knowledge

Whatever your line of work, one of the best ways to be more confident is to learn more about your industry and niche:

• Stay updated on current trends
• Spend time learning about possible future trends of your business
• Read up on the latest research, processes and practices

You want to be fully confident in your business area.  The more comfortable you are with your responsibilities, the more your confidence will shine through. That comes from continued learning.

4. Become An Authority In Your Niche

For some, this could be a big differentiator...

Aspiring Leaders Stealth Tip: Now that you've increased your knowledge, share it!

You know how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and other social media. Now, use it with a purpose. Get workplace approval first, and share:

• Tips
• Statistics
• Industry updates
• Credible articles
• Infographics and similar visuals
• Your educated predictions

In ways that are helpful to others that allow them to succeed in their jobs or social lives.

By putting yourself in a position of sharing what you know, people will be conditioned to come to you as a resource. In turn, you then become known as a thought leader and eventually an expert.

Is there a better way for aspiring leaders to become more confident?  ;)

5. Grow Your Strengths

According to many studies, an effective way to boost your confidence is to concentrate on your actual strengths and focus on how to improve them. If you learn the art of doing something exceedingly well, you’ll find your confidence will grow.

Aspiring leaders know it is much more optimal to be skilled in a select few areas, rather than to be mediocre at several.

6. Be Inquisitive

A lot of people are afraid to ask questions. In reality, your work peers love being asked questions, as it allows them to share their knowledge. It also makes you look keen to learn.

Remember, if you don’t ask questions, you’re at risk of fumbling your responsibilities. Being reactive rather than proactive will not allow you to boost your confidence. Opt for being proactive.

If you feel unsure about anything work related, always ask someone else what they recommend as the correct path. Never go into a project without fully understanding the entire process. The greater your understanding, the higher your confidence in acing the project.

7. Avoid Negative Language

Take note of the language you use daily at work. If you find yourself saying “I can’t…”, it will automatically close your mind to certain solutions. Instead of focusing on “I can’t” look at asking yourself “How could I…?”

The key here is to recognize when negative words start to creep into your answers. Quickly switch to more positive answers.

Words like “but” need to be used as little as possible. When you stop saying “but” for a long period of time, you’ll start to notice that you focus on getting tasks done rather than making excuses.

Final Thoughts

Remember that nothing is more attractive in aspiring leaders than a strong confidence from within. Put some time and effort into strengthening this quality, and you’ll find you will start to flourish within your workplace.

CI