Confidence is a key trait, whether you work in sales, you lead a team or you run your own promo business. Confident people believe in themselves and know they have the knowledge and skills to do their job well and overcome any challenges that may arise.

But what if your confidence meter is running a bit low?

According to leadership expert Ben Brearley, not only is this OK, but it can be a good thing. He says that feeling low in confidence isn’t necessarily a barrier to success. In fact, when your confidence lags, he believes it can lead to some positive outcomes. We explain his thoughts in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

You’re realistic about what you know. If you’re not feeling super confident, it could be because you know you don’t have all the answers. You’re probably aware of your knowledge gaps or shortcomings, which is leading you to feel low in confidence. This is a good thing, according to Brearley, because it can lead you to reach out to people who can help you – those who know more about the topic than you do. This is important in creating an inclusive, collaborative environment as opposed to one where you run with only your own ideas, he says. 

You become better prepared. Low confidence levels can also lead you to prepare better in the future. Maybe you need to conduct better research, take more time to plan or run through some role-playing scenarios. The message here, Brearley says, is that you need to do something. It’s the opposite of feeling overly confident, which is when you might want to say, “I’ve got this.”

You appear more authentic. Nobody likes a know-it-all. If you have all the answers, people will find you hard to trust. On the other hand, when you’re open about what you don’t know, you build your credibility. Brearley says when you open up about your limitations or worries, it’s not a weakness but a display of courage and vulnerability.

You become more self-aware. When you’re not feeling super confident, you might become more cognizant of your shortcomings. This can be a good thing when you take these feelings and respond to them in a positive way, Brearley says.

If you feel like you’ve lost your swagger, think about why. Maybe you could benefit from some feedback, or maybe you need to spend more time preparing for something. The key takeaway is to be comfortable being uncomfortable sometimes. Harness that feeling and push your boundaries.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Ben Brearley is a leadership coach, trainer and facilitator with nearly two decades of management and consulting experience.