Having confidence in yourself, your skills and your team is vital to being a good leader and yet having confidence on a consistent basis is something that many leaders struggle with. Whichever level of leadership you're at, it's important to grasp the confidence issue; for the sake of your own job satisfaction, your individual work performance, the performance of your team and your future career prospects. 

It's worth investing the time and effort into working on your self-confidence. Confidence breeds confidence. Once you start getting more confident in your leadership role, the positive impact it will have on you and your organisation will act as a catalyst for you to perpetually become even more confident.

A major factor that holds a lot of us back from being confident is the fear that people will perceive us as arrogant. This is not necessarily true-there's nothing wrong with being assertive and most people you come into contact with in your position as a leader will be able to tell the difference between assertiveness and arrogance. Remember that if you exude confidence, your subordinates, peers and business associates are likely to be confident in you and the issues that you are leading. 

If you feel you have nothing to be confident about, reflect on your skills-would you really have got to where you are today if you didn't have any qualities or talents that are worth being confident in? Reflecting on our strengths and the wealth of our experiences is not a natural state for humans to be in, so you'll have to consciously sit down and make a list of the things you're good at and the value that your various experiences have added to your skills set. If you really can't think of any strengths, ask those who know you well what they are.

Enhancing your levels of confidence isn't something you have to do by yourself, even if you're supposed to be ‘the one in charge'. Don't be afraid to seek support, no matter how senior your position. Ask your employer about training, as specific courses in self-assertiveness or public speaking can help you in areas of confidence that you're struggling with. Look into whether there are any such in-house training opportunities that the organisation can sign you up for. Alternatively, consider attending external training. Taking a day or two off work to attend an outside course is a worthy investment into your professional and personal development.

In addition to formal training, advice and support from your superiors and peers can often be useful. Keep lines of communication with your employer well open and don't be afraid to discuss matters with them. By having a good relationship with those associated with your work, you're likely to feel confident in your work environment.

Sometimes you may have to act confidently before you really feel confident. By holding yourself properly, speaking with authority, voicing your opinions and taking immediate charge of situations, you'll begin to build genuine confidence, even if it isn't there to start with. Acting confidently will lead to you believing you can be genuinely confident-and, in time, you will be.

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