Confidence in Your Decision Making
Confidence is a key factor in leadership. A leader must always be definitive and clear when it comes to each aspect of the workplace. To effectively communicate your expectations and see optimal results, you need to have one powerful trait: confidence in your decision making.
What are the dangers of lacking confidence?
A leader who constantly changes the company’s plans, and fails to provide employees with the understanding they need, creates a workplace where employees question his or her judgement. Not providing employees with a clear route will lead to frustration, confusion, and things simply not getting done. It’s also common for employees to feel unappreciated, or even disrespected, as a result of ineffectively communicating tasks. Employees need to feel that their time and efforts are valued. Have confidence in the decisions that you make and give clear instructions to avoid this negative mentality.
Not having enough confidence can also be critically detrimental to your company. It is not always easy to be comfortable in a leadership position. You may fear that your employees aren’t going to like your ideas or that you may come across the wrong way. Acknowledging the steps above and also learning to remain comfortable in difficult situations will you help you combat this, and enable your confidence to thrive.
That being said, it is important to understand the difference between confidence and arrogance. A confident leader is going to take the necessary steps to meet the needs of both clients and employees. This means being open to ideas, and not letting your own emotions or initial reactions cloud your judgement. An arrogant leader is going to appear insensitive and possibly even selfish, which are personal qualities that will reduce the likelihood of your employees wanting to communicate with you.
A confident leader should always:
- Keep an open mind
- Be open to feedback from others
- Welcome debate and challenge employees to disagree in a healthy way
- Be curious, but not defensive
- Be encouraging and let others speak their mind
These small steps will encourage clients and employees to keep lines of communication open with you as a leader. Note that confidence is one of the greatest attributes brought to the workplace, and can be the difference in creating a successful and enthusiastic work environment.
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