The courage to believe in ourselves really matters to me. I am not confident 24/7 (still a little of that imposter syndrome at times) however I know how critical it is to be confident, courageous and to have that self-belief where you are showing that greatness within yourself. Greatness isn’t a personality trait, it is an action and choice. I want to bring this out in this post and in my national leadership tour as it’s the legacy we need for ourselves and our future generations.
I know what it is like not to believe in yourself and how can impact you. This is why I do what I do. I remember coming back to Australia from overseas desperately trying to find work as a full time single parent and using every fibre in my body to have the confidence to go out there and find a job to put food on the table for us. I did it with courage and confidence even though I felt I had it ripped from within me.
This is why I wrote a booked called Just Rock It! to inspire everyone to see their inner greatness and call on that courage and confidence. You can build your confident and great muscles!
We all know confident women, confident female leaders and human. They light up a room when they arrive and they always leave a positive impression. They seem to have an indefinable something that makes them special, and perhaps even inspiring.
Very little stands in the way of emulating the confidence of those female leaders who inspire you. And it’s unlikely they were born so confident. It took mindfulness and practice, so if they can do it so can you.
“In Order To Be Irreplaceable One Must Always Be Different”. – Coco Chanel
Join me for my National Courageous Women Tour 2022
Confident and great female leaders:
- Use their words wisely, with respect and consideration. This is particularly true when speaking of other women. They have no need to gossip or drag others down to make themselves feel better. Women with confidence are too excited by their plans and dreams.
- Don’t take anything personally. Women who lead confidently know the only person they can control is themselves, and they are not responsible for anyone else’s emotions or behaviours. You cannot control what others do, only how you react.
- Use their power for good instead of evil. They know their strengths and capabilities and seek opportunities to make the world around them just a little better. Whether that be by mentoring another woman in their team and helping them achieve their own goals, or fighting for human rights, they are selfless and share their talent with others.
- Give credit where credit is due. Confident and great female leaders won’t take credit for another’s success. Firstly, they have more respect for themselves and others, but also they celebrate the achievements of others, and the satisfaction of having assisted on the journey is more than enough. They support women and don’t compete with them.
- Trust their instincts. They are thorough and decisive, and when they have made a decision they stick to it. They don’t hesitate or second guess, and this, in turn, instills confidence and motivates the team they lead.
- They don’t lead to being liked. Confident and great leaders are not afraid to make tough decisions even though they may not be popular. She can handle opposition and will deal with it rationally and fairly, with the conviction to stand by any decision. Those she leads respect her for her ability to follow through and be consistent.
- They learn from their mistakes. Bumps in the road do not knock confident female leaders off course. They do not expect perfection from themselves or others and know that with success and responsibility comes risk and sometimes failure. The ability to get up and get on with it after a setback keeps them moving forward and inspires others.
- Believe in balance and reward. Working hard in the times of heavy workload is balanced with a break and reward for the team when the job is done and the load lightens a little. Confident women lead by example and put in the big hours when required but they are not afraid to celebrate and regroup and take a breather in preparation for the next challenge ahead.
- Don’t waste time on worry. What if’s and should have been’s don’t exist for the women who is confident in her leadership. Worry changes nothing and is a waste of energy and focus that can be used to move forward.
- They are authentic. Understanding their own motivations and being clear in their belief systems, confident leadership in women who inspire and motivate is effective, credible and consistent. Insincerity is obvious and unacceptable to those you lead, even if they can’t quite identify what’s not right. Authenticity is central to female leaders with confidence.
- They are always kind to themselves and to others. They see kindness, empathy and compassion as super powers. In turn when they fail, stuff up or make mistakes they know self-kindness rules. Kindness is the key to confidence and greatness.
- They are courageous and brave. They will never walk pass behaviour they wouldn’t accept. They have the courage to step in, stand up and step up. They have the courage to take risks and embrace fear always.
If you are unsure of yourself, people won’t listen and if you don’t believe in the course you set, then others won’t be motivated and inspired to follow you. Perhaps you’re almost ready to become a confident female leader by unlocking your unique leadership potential. Reach out if I can help.
You got this!
By Sonia McDonald – CEO of LeadershipHQ And McDonald Inc. Leadership Coach, Global Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, CEO And Award Winning Author.
Sonia McDonald is changing the face of leadership across the globe. She believes we should lead with kindness and courage, from the heart, and is known for her mantra ‘Just Lead’. She leads by example in all these areas and through her transformational coaching, leadership training programs and cultural transformation for organisations and encourages others to do the same. Sonia has helped thousands of people on their leadership journey to become the best version of themselves and in turn, inspire and bring out the best in others.
Sonia is a founder and CEO of McDonald Inc., LeadershipHQ and Global Outstanding Leadership Awards and Conference. For more than 25 years, Sonia has been on the front lines of leadership and she is beyond committed to her mission around building a world of great leaders.
She has held leadership positions worldwide and through experience, research and study come to realise what it takes to be a truly great leader. She has been recognised by Richtopia as One of the Top 250 Influential Women across the Globe and Top 100 Australian Entrepreneurs. She is also rated as one of the Australia’s motivational keynote speakers.
