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Self-confidence emanates from a strong feeling of self-esteem. This comes
from a general sense that we can cope with what's going on in our lives,
and that we have a right to enjoy our life and work. Partly, this comes from
a feeling that the people around us approve of us, which we may or may

not be able to control. However, it also comes from the sense that we are
behaving virtuously, that we're competent at what we do, and that we can
compete successfully when we put our minds to it.
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Self-confident leadership leads to boldness of action, which is reflected in
a willingness to try new things and to offer innovative ideas. It is difficult,
if not impossible, to be a leader if one lacks the self-confidence to try new
things and to take risks, and then to persuade others to do likewise.

Self-confident people do inspire confidence and positive energy in others.
People aren’t likely to unleash their creative power if they suffer from

doubt about themselves. Self-confident people are usually inspiring, and
people like to be around individuals who believe in themselves and what
they're doing. It is unlikely that someone can influence people who do not
have confidence in him or her, and it is difficult to inspire confidence in
others if one doesn’t have confidence in oneself. People follow those

leaders because they speak about solutions with persuasive conviction,
project confidence when others are uncertain, and act decisively.
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Some people believe that self-confidence can be built with affirmations and
positive thinking. Although there is certainly some truth in this, it is just as
important to build self-confidence by setting and achieving goals, thereby
building competence. Without this underlying competence, it is likely that
your self-confidence will erode into either over-confidence or a loss of

confidence, with all of the negatives that this brings.

Leaders need a core sense of confidence that allows them to be comfortable

receiving input from others, as was discussed under self-reflection. This
includes, of course, hearing disagreement. It is important for a leader to
have an open mind to hear critical feedback without allowing the message
to become a personal criticism. Part of increasing one’s capabilities involves

86 http://www.mindtools.com/selfconf.html.
87 Frances Hesselbein, et.al. The Leader of the Future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996. P.
138.

David Kolzow 74