Imagine walking into an organization and you know nothing about the skills you need, methods that work, or you lack the talent needed to thrive. You’d be freaking out.
You may wonder how you could accomplish all that needs to be done. You may ponder why someone would put you into the situation you’re sitting in.
More than anything, you’d lack the confidence to get the job done.
So, my question to you is:
What could build your confidence to tackle situations such as this?
The Number ONE Thing That Will Build Confidence
What if I told you there’s one thing that will build or give you confidence? Something you can work on yourself? Something so simple it can be mind-bending?
There is one thing you can do to build confidence, even in challenging situations where you’re tossed into it with little to no knowledge of the business.
What is the thing you can do to build confidence?
You must be willing to build competence in what you do.
How To Build Competence
Here are 4 things you can do to build your competence so you will have the confidence to do the job when the time comes.
1. Engage In Deliberate Practice:
We can view failure or challenges as something to avoid. However, if you want to build confidence and competence, failure and challenges are something you’ll have to embrace.
You need to focus on practicing with the intention of improving your skills and competence. You have to set challenges above your current boundaries and be willing to fail.
The more you do this, the more competent you’ll become.
2. Continue Learning:
Never stop learning new skills, tricks, and trades. Every time you learn something new, you increase your competence in areas you didn’t have knowledge of before.
You can also consider cross-training in new areas. You’ll be able to experience situations those you lead are placed in, how they think through problems, and come out with new ideas to use as a leader.
3. Get A Mentor:
A mentor can help you become more competent in the areas in which you struggle. They can even take you to the next level in areas you’re already competent in.
Don’t be afraid to engage with a mentor. They will have the experience you currently lack and help you discover what to do next. Each session you spend with a mentor will help you grasp new knowledge and insight you can apply to your organization.
4. Apply What You’ve Learned:
None of the actions above will make you more competent or confident if you don’t apply what you’ve learned. Applying what I’ve learned is actually one of the reasons I’m writing this post.
I learned about the competent-to-confidence trick through a book I was listening to on my commute to pick up an item I needed. In Hidden Genius by Polina Marinova Pompliano, Pompliano shared how some of the most skilled and technical among us build their confidence through the deliberate building of their competence. I wanted to make sure I remember this point, so I am writing about it.
You have to do the same.
What are you learning? How can you apply it in your organization, role, or life? The more you apply, the more competent and then confident you will become.
