The Role of Confidence in Building Influence

Confidence is the solid foundation of all great leaders. They are absolutely confident in their beliefs, and their actions. When you confidently make decisions and lead your team, the people around you feed off of that powerful self-belief. They begin believing as you do, and look up to you as a source of inspiration and influence.

Think about some bosses, coaches, or other types of leaders you have had in your life. Probably more than a few of them were inconsequential and unsuccessful. That is because leadership without self-confidence allows for too many distractions. The leader’s opinion can be easily swayed, so those following that leader do not have a lot of confidence in any proposed game plan.

K.A. Ericsson and several other researchers in 1993 noted that “confidence and motivation to persist” were more important than any other factors in the “accomplishment of some goal.” When a populace does not have confidence in its police force or government, civic unrest can lead to riots, and even death.

This is why it is so important to display a sense of confidence whenever you interact with your marketplace. Think about the leaders you admire, in and outside your field. These are not milquetoast, wishy-washy, mild-mannered, flip-flopping individuals. They make decisions quickly and decisively. They have a look about them that engenders absolute trust and belief that they know what they’re doing.

You are going to make mistakes. All great leaders and industry influencers do. You are only human. Mistakes are natural. Don’t get bogged down in thinking, “What if I fail?” That is not the way a confident leader thinks.

When you communicate, don’t say “maybe”, and “if we’re lucky”. Instead say “this will happen”, “we will be successful” and “here is what we are going to do.” Be decisive in your actions, your speech, and any content that you distribute to your marketplace. 

Dress for success. Your appearance can make you look self-confident and powerful, or weak-minded and careless.

Self-confidence is absolutely required to be a substantial influence in just about any market. Your followers are that, followers. That means they need a leader that is confident in his or her ability to direct and influence their actions, and this absolutely requires that you believe confidently in everything you do.

A confident leader is also better prepared for battle than someone who is unsure and wavering. When others in your industry attempt to supplant your leadership role, your confidence in what you’re doing, and the way you are doing it, can solidify your industry influence position rather than handing it over to a newcomer.