Most managers underestimate themselves. Because the work of getting people to work their best is often riddled with mistakes, shortcomings, and failures, managers may be more reminded of their shortcomings and limitations than their strengths and possibilities.
I once knew a woman who had a master’s degree in English from a well-known university. She loved fiction and poetry, and we often talked about books. She often said that she would like to write a novel one day. One day I encouraged her to take the first step by writing a story. To my surprise, she expressed reluctance and explained that she wasn’t ready to try it. I was puzzled by her attitude, because she was a student of literature and a thoughtful and intuitive person. She had seen examples of her writing. She was quite elegant, way above the norm. She just believed that she couldn’t do it. And that’s why she never did.
In contrast, our company once hired a young computer programmer who stated that our new web-based program needed a content management system. He knew that he had no experience with this type of programming, but he claimed that he could not only do it, but would create a generic, customizable content management system that would become a product in its own right. So we gave him the project. He made a lot of mistakes along the way, but it was amazing to see him learn. And in the end, he did what he said he would do, even though he had never done anything like that before.
The difference between these two people is self-confidence, the belief that you have the ability to accomplish a difficult task.
So… which person would you bet on to be successful? The super talented person who thinks he can’t? Or the person who does not know how to do it but is convinced that he can?
Believe you can, or believe you can’t. Either way, you will prove yourself right.
When faced with the challenges of leading people, it’s easy to doubt yourself. You know that you have certain strengths and have achieved many things in your life. But you also know that you can’t be good at everything. You may feel that it is foolhardy to ignore your limitations.
Don’t sell yourself shorts! You have imagination. You have energy. You can build on what you already know, learning as you go. You can work hard and refuse to give up. As the German poet Goethe wrote: “Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin; boldness has genius, power and magic.”
To help you become strong for leadership, create the three power lists of a confident manager.
1. Make a list of all your achievements: everything you have done in your life that you are satisfied with. Take your time. Start with your childhood. You will find that you have probably forgotten many of your achievements! Every time you find yourself saying, “Oh well, that’s not much of an accomplishment,” remove this thought from your mind and write it down anyway. When you are sure the list is complete, go through it slowly. As you consider each item, affirm it positively and state why you are satisfied with it. Do this for every achievement, without exception.
2. Next, make a list of your knowledge and skills. Once again, it includes everything. The list will be longer than you thought.
3. Finally, make a list of your strongest traits and attributes. Do not be modest!
4. Once all three lists are complete, say to yourself, “I am strong in leadership in many ways. I have learned a lot and accomplished a lot in my life. With effort, I can do almost anything I want.” I really want to do.” He repeats these sentences three times a day.
It’s easy to lose sight of what you’re capable of. All three lists are a realistic audit of your true capabilities. Create all three and save them for future reference.
You have already earned the right to be confident and strong for leadership. Acknowledging your strengths and accomplishments is like putting money in the bank. You don’t earn interest if you discount good things or don’t give yourself credit.
Expect great things of yourself, and you will find it easier to achieve.
