“To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will.”~Sugar Ray Robinson
I was with a coaching client the other day, meeting with her and her boss as a check-in. I was there to observe, facilitate the conversation when necessary, and provide a buffer and/or reality check in any way possible.
My client and I had prepared for the meeting – listing what she wanted to cover, things that were important for her boss to know, attitudes and approaches she wanted to incorporate. She was ready.
Then the conversation started. My client stated her opinions and strongly voiced what she needed from her boss (as we had discussed), and then she wavered. She used a “qualifier” – a word or statement that lessened the impact of what she had shared, that detracted from her credibility and influence. “Well, that’s just my idea on that,” she offered.
Now this may not seem like much, but this simple uttering offered her boss a way out. A way to not agree with my client and to disregard her request.
When we “qualify” what we’ve said – when we discredit ourselves, even slightly – we make it easier for others to not hear us or believe us…or agree with us. We need to believe in ourselves – and to say what we mean, say it strongly, and shut up and let our contribution sink in.
Where do you lessen your impact? How could you believe in yourself more?
Click here to leave a comment.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For support in believing in yourself…and stating it strongly, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
Click here to receive The Thoughtful Leaders™ Blog posts via e-mail and receive a copy of “Ending Leadership Frenzy: 5 Steps to Becoming a More Thoughtful and Effective Leader.”
Photo Credit: Pinterest.com
