One of the biggest things leaders struggle with is making clear decisions.
Even on the best and brightest day, it can be hard to make a confident decision. You may have all the data presented, and as much information to move forward, but leaders often struggle with this because of many things: lack of time, lack of money, lack of sleep, lack of confidence, but the most important, lack of clarity.
When we talk about clarity in business, it’s often having metrics, understanding the business goals and objectives, hiring, and firing and hard and soft skills. However, clarity of self is often the biggest blind spot most leaders face that impedes confident decision making.
A leader who has clarity is able to:
- identify their strengths, and weaknesses as well as goals and values
- dominantly work their strength zone and delegate weaknesses to enhance productivity, efficiency, and team performance
- identify situational and environmental triggers and practice self-control in the face of pressure and stress
- identify coping strategies to maintain a healthy and positive outlook.
The fastest way to get to clarity is to get a coach who can help you see the picture from outside of the frame.
Character
Integrity in business seems to be going out of style. Leaders who practice integrity will consistently stand out and remain competitive. There are no shortages of stories where leaders have manipulated, abused, bullied, stolen, cheated, lied and practiced unethical and immoral behaviors. What most fail to realize is that each decision that lacks integrity is a direct assault on their personal self-esteem and character. With each repeated and offending act, the hole in self-esteem and self-respect gets bigger and bigger making it harder to feel fulfilled, acknowledged and valued. It becomes easier and easier to lose their character and self-confidence.
Confidence
A leader must protect their confidence like a parent protects their child.
When a leader loses confidence, it doesn’t happen overnight. It is a slow process that may involve a series of negative life experiences, rejection, unhealthy criticisms, irrelevant skillsets, isolation, poor choices or simply a deviation of what was once enjoyable. Because leaders who have lost confidence can’t be spotted with the naked eye, they may be head of departments or organizations with high accomplishments, academic credentials, awards and accolades, leaders of community and civic organizations, celebrities, business leaders and successful entrepreneurs who are winning in their professional lives, but losing and struggling internally. The chances that you work with a leader, or are the leader who feels unfulfilled and fearful of taking risks are very high. But there is good news. Like regaining a foreign language with practice, lost confidence can also be regained.
The first way to start rebuilding confidence is to use positive affirmations to direct the focus of the brain. There is no evidence that negative self-talk is helpful, so choose positive self-talk to improve your mood, outlook and confidence. The second way and one of the fastest ways to rebuild confidence is with an Executive Communications Coach. Coaching provides clarity in a S.E.A. (Support: Encouragement and accountability).