Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith rarely encounters self-confidence problems among his CEO and potential-CEO clients. But when he gives seminars at university MBA programs, with students drawn from lower echelons of organizations, self-confidence is a topic they want to talk about. On Harvard Business School blogs, he offers this advice for those struggling with self-confidence:
Accept imperfection
Don't worry about being perfect when making business decisions. In fact, there are never right or wrong answers in complex business decisions, much as we want to believe we can find such perfect answers. Even Warren Buffett, who is known as The Sage Of Omaha, doesn't get it right every time. "The best that you can do as a leader is to gather all the information that you can (in a timely manner), do a cost-benefit analysis of potential options, use your best judgment - and then go for it," Mr. Goldsmith writes.
Live with failure
Accept that there will be moments of failure. The best salespeople realize that. They actually get rejected more than ordinary salespeople but they ask for the order more, he notes, and live with their many failures as a necessary step to win their many successes. You are only human. Learn from your mistakes and move on.
Commit
After you have made a final decision, commit fully to that course of action. Don't continually second- guess yourself.
Show courage
Even if you are somewhat hesitant on the inside, show courage on the outside. As a leader, those who report to you directly are reading your moods and expressions for clues. "If you show a lack of courage, you will begin to damage your [their] self-confidence," he stresses.
Be happy
Don't worry; be happy, as the song by Bobby McFerrin tells us. Find happiness and contentment in your work. Do your best and, when you win, celebrate - and when you lose, just start over again the next day.
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POWER POINTS
Overwhelmed? Put less on your plate
It's a well-known diet trick that you will eat less if you use a smaller plate. Consultant Patricia Katz advises the same strategy to prevent being overwhelmed by work. Stop assuming you have 24 hours up for grabs each day and, instead, set aside a reasonable number of hours for rest and renewal. That will make you more cautious about how many commitments you pile on your now-reduced plate. Pause Newsletter
When to get a hot response to a cold call
The best day of the week to cold call, according to a study of millions of such efforts by Kellogg School of Management's James Oldroyd, is Thursday - almost 20 per cent more effective than Friday, the worst day. The best time: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., followed closely by late afternoon. Geoffrey James, BNET blogs
Irritated employees head for the door
The conventional wisdom is that people quit companies because of their boss. But after studying more than three million exit interview responses, consultant Beth Carvin says employees leave because of irritations. Some of the most common are limited growth or advancement opportunities, inadequate training, unreasonable workload, dislike of the type of work, perception of unfairness, unreasonable procedures, sexual harassment, perceived discrimination, difficult colleagues, lack of quality products or services, and discomfort with organizational ethics. Canadian HR Reporter
If boards make decisions, who monitors them?
The media focus in Canada after General Motors Co.'s decision not to sell Opel was on auto supplier Magna International, which was jilted at the altar. But Bryant University professor Michael Roberto says the focus should have been on GM's board of directors overruling management and making the decision itself. While we want more effective and vigilant boards, we also expect boards to be monitoring and controlling the decision makers. If boards become the primary decision makers, he asks, who will monitor and control them? Prof. Michael Roberto's blog
Know who your critics are
