Hello Fierce One,
I’m heading to the beach for a week of R&R. One of the things that fascinates me about the ocean is its myriad dimensions: shifting colours, textures, moods, sometimes all in the space of a day.
Confidence is oceanic like that. It’s a blanket word we use to describe a quality that feels different depending on the day and impacts us differently depending on where and how it shows up.
Here’s a column I wrote for Inc. on the three types of confidence every woman needs. Enjoy!
Women Entrepreneurs: Here Are the 3 Types of Confidence You Must Have to Succeed
In their ground-breaking book, The Confidence Code, authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman detailed the myriad ways in which a lack of confidence holds women back relative to men. We apply for promotions later, we communicate more tentatively, we sometimes avoid taking career-shaping risks.
But while building confidence is critical for all women leaders, it is non-negotiable for women entrepreneurs. Whether you are negotiating a deal, closing sales, pitching investors for growth capital, or convincing top-shelf talent to take a salary cut to join your startup, your confidence is the x-factor you need to secure buy-in, create followers and bring your entrepreneurial vision to life.
I’m willing to bet this isn’t the first time you’ve read about the connection between confidence and success. In fact, “build confidence” is a recurring refrain in almost every conversation I have had with both female founders and their advisors.
But the problem with the “build confidence” advice is that a) you can be highly confident in certain areas of your life and less confident in others, and b) not all types of confidence result in business success.
The key question, which most people never ask, by the way, is this: In which areas do I most need to build confidence in order to grow and scale my business?
In my years of interviewing and researching high-performing female founders, I’ve identified three core areas where your confidence translates into high impact ROI for you and your business. READ MORE…