Lost Confidence? Here’s How Business Leaders Can Recover It

When Kelly opened her first franchise location, she was thrilled! It was an adventure she’d wanted to take for a long time, and she’d finally done it. She was excited, confident, and bold.

She dove in with her whole heart, not minding the long hours or weekend shifts. What mattered was she was living her dream of being a business owner. And she was sure she’d eventually settle in. The business would thrive, and then she’d have the freedom to live life on her terms. Finally!

You may be guessing that’s not what actually happened.

A few years in, Kelly was tired. Her business had grown stagnant, and the franchise coaching wasn’t helping. Her corporate background didn’t help all that much either. It meant she didn’t have a sales mindset or a solid follow-up system.

And more than that, she’d lost the confidence that she could be a successful franchise owner. How could she overcome all these barriers? They were starting to seem more and more insurmountable. And it was getting harder and harder to imagine ever regaining her confidence.

The good news is this: if you’re standing in Kelly’s shoes right now, you’re not alone. Every business leader wrestles with self-assurance as they strive to move forward. You’re not the only one.

It’s also completely possible to regain your belief in who you are and what you can accomplish. Even if it seems lost forever, know this is only a temporary setback. Let’s dive in a little deeper and get you back on track.

When Confidence Starts to Slip

Kelly’s experience is not unusual. Do you agree?

Entrepreneur ran a story several years back called, “12 Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Celebrities Who Have Struggled with Imposter Syndrome—It’s more common than you think.”

Take a look at the list, and you’ll see some of the most famous people on the planet. From the outside, they all appear confident, calm, collected. But, on the inside, they’ve all felt their confidence crumble beneath them at some point. When it did, they wondered when the world would call their bluff.

That’s how Kelly was feeling, too. So many professional service providers lose confidence as they move forward in business. When becoming profitable is harder than they think, they start to believe they’re doing something wrong. Or worse, that’s something’s wrong with them.

They look at other franchise owners in their circle and only see successes. They imagine those other owners must have it all together and be beyond their personal struggles.  

And slowly, slowly, their confidence starts to slip away. But it doesn’t have to disappear forever.

4 Building Blocks for Overcoming Self-Doubt

When you’re aware of the core aspects of true confidence, it’s easier to find your way back to it.

Here are four building blocks that will help you overcome self-doubt:

1. Clarity

One of the most important builders of confidence is clarity. Knowing exactly where you’re going and having a plan to get there.

When Kelly started the franchise, she felt confident because she could envision the future with a successful business. When the future became the present, and reality wasn’t matching up to what she’d envisioned, her confidence waned. She started doubting herself and everything about the business.

To take a step toward obliterating that self-doubt, she had to first get clarity.

2. Competence

She also needed to develop greater competence. Confidence grows when you know your stuff. Period.

Kelly thought she knew what she was doing when she started out, but time proved her skills were lacking in some areas. To regain assurance in her abilities, she simply needed to develop the skills she was missing and strengthen those that were weak.

When you’re feeling a lack of confidence, assess your competence. Is there an area you can become more competent in to rebuild your belief that you have what it takes to succeed?

3. Self-Awareness

Emotional intelligence is one of my favorite topics, and it’s a great confidence builder. Self-awareness is part of that.

The reality is when we’re self-aware, we manage ourselves and our emotions more effectively. And when we manage both better, we build stronger connections with our teams, resolve conflicts more skillfully, and make better decisions. We also contribute to a more positive and productive work culture.

So, what’s that got to do with confidence? Everything. Confidence grows with every successful team interaction, every conflict resolved well, every decision thoughtfully made that produces desired results.

When self assurance is slipping, pause and look at what’s going on beneath the surface. Pay attention to the choices you’re making and the reasons behind them.The more clarity you have about your own patterns, the easier it becomes to push back against doubt and recapture the leader you know yourself to be.

4. Resilience

Improving resilience will also help you resist doubt. According to Merriam Webster, resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” If anything can shake confidence, unexpected change can.

And business leaders face unexpected change all the time. That means to maintain confidence as a business professional, you have to become resilient.

• Work on your mindset.
• See opportunity where there appears to be obstacles.
• Make gratitude a daily practice.
• Don’t lose sight of your vision for your life and business and determine you’ll see it through.
  

A confident leader creates clarity for others. Teams perform better when they trust their leader’s steadiness. Confidence also leads to continuity.

 If you’re ready to rebuild confidence with structure, accountability, and support, Growth Academy’s coaching programs can help you turn belief into consistent action. Reach out today.