Confidence is Contagious

Confidence is Contagious.

When a leader demonstrates a confident bearing, his demeanor can actually instill confidence in his teammates.  When the gates of hell open and Satan’s army is charging, when all hope is gone; the confident leader smiles. A subtle gesture that produces an enormous impact.  Even when your teammates are terrified, they will stand with you and fight alongside you until the very end.  And make no mistake about it, you are just as terrified as they are.  But, you are a leader, and it is no longer your job to be afraid. Your primary goal is to maintain the fighting spirit with your bearing even if you are facing overwhelming odds. 

Confidence is quiet but recognizable.

You can easily spot the difference between a student who has spent countless hours studying the course material on examination day and the student who procrastinated by the way they walk into the classroom.  The choice to prepare versus the choice to be comfortable, could mean all the difference in your level of confidence.  Preparation is truly the difference maker.  Consistent and difficult drilling or practice breeds confidence.  So, choose to prepare as far in advance as possible. Become confident in the challenge that lies ahead. The effective leader chooses to make time in their day to prepare for their opportunity to achieve success instead of waiting to “see what happens.” Let your teammates know by your confident bearing, because you put in the work and nobody or nothing will stand in the way of your path to victory. 

 

You should also recognize confidence in the individuals you lead. 

Have you spent enough time with your teammates to be able to look into their eyes and get a sense of their confidence level?  If not, now is the time to start studying.  Leadership could easily be articulated as one’s ability to understand people.  So the leader’s ability to recognize a shortcoming in confidence is critical.  When you recognize that there is a confidence issue with someone under your authority, you can now respond, communicate, or put in a plan of action to re-build or influence confidence.