Confidence For New leaders

1. If you don’t seem confident

Are you actually lacking confidence, or are you just doing a poor job of displaying it? If you are
truly lacking confidence, dig deep to understand why and start addressing that.

Be great at your job. Get healthy and fit (that boosted my confidence considerably). Improve
your speaking ability. I could go on and on, but there are entire books dedicated to improving
one’s confidence.

2. If you don’t act professional

If your language, appearance, and behavior don’t align with your company’s definition of
“professional,” then it’s time to closely observe the successful leaders around you. How do they
dress? How do they behave in meetings? Watch them present, listen to them speak, observe
how they handle themselves in tough situations.

For example, it seems all the rage lately to curse a lot, even in a supposedly professional setting.
Note, very senior execs can kind of get away with that at some companies where the culture
allows it (Yahoo did, but eBay most definitely did not). But, be aware that your cursing may cost
you a job.

I remember one interview candidate who lost his chance to be hired because he decided to drop
a few F-bombs during his presentation. One of the senior execs pulled me aside afterward and
said, “He’s a no hire. If he can’t control his language when he’s trying to make a good
impression, then he won’t be able to control it in front of customers and partners.”

3. If you’re not seen as a leader

They say that you need to demonstrate that you can do the job before you get the job. That’s
even more true of leadership. No one wants to promote someone into a senior leadership
role hoping that you might be able to handle it. They want to see evidence that you’re already
behaving like a leader.
Build relationships across the company so that more people can see how you think and interact.
Step up in chaotic meetings to take control and bring them back on track. Defend those who
aren’t strong enough to defend themselves. Stand up for yourself, for others, and for what you
believe in. Say “yes” to challenging opportunities even when you aren’t sure how you will
succeed yet.

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes —

then learn how to do it later!” ― Richard Branson

4. If your public speaking skills are lacking

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know how important I think public speaking
skills are for advancing your career. I’ve written a couple of articles about it.

5. If you don’t handle conflict well

Read my article on this topic. I spent quite a bit of time putting this together, so I won’t duplicate
it here.

6. If you’re lacking political savvy

Find a more senior mentor who understands “healthy politics,” and learn from the best. The
unfortunate truth is that politics become more common the higher you climb the ladder. But, it
doesn’t have to be negative politics. Politics can be used for good.

Building relationships is a positive way to grow your network and expand your sphere of
influence at the company. Collaborate with others to find mutual opportunities that benefit
everyone. Support colleagues in meetings when it is appropriate.

Understand that healthy politics are really about understanding people, their motivations, and
their goals. Truly seek to understand what they want and why they are behaving the way that
they do.

On the flip side, be honest and share your own goals and motivations with others when you are
trying to build support. Know that a successful outcome in an important meeting starts with the
conversations you have with the key players long before that meeting actually happens.

7. If you aren’t ready to “swim with the sharks”

This is related to the previous issue. Sharks love politics. I’ve found that this issue really kicks in
at the VP level and above. I experienced some of this as a Director and Sr. Director, but it was
nothing like what I ran into as a VP. Again, your best bet is to find a mentor who has successfully
navigated these waters.

I don’t think you should become a “shark” yourself. But, you do need to learn how to recognize
the behavior, avoid the common traps, and handle yourself well when you interact with them.
Your mentor can coach you through what this means for your specific situation at your
company.

8. If you can’t think on your feet

Improv is your new best friend. You may not think that it is relevant in a business setting, but it a
very useful skill to develop. Training in improv and lots of practice will make you more
comfortable in a fast-paced business meeting. This is especially helpful for introverts who don’t
like being put on the spot.

Advanced preparation is also critical if you’ve been struggling to think quickly enough on your
feet in the office. Each night, review what is on your calendar for the next day. Prepare for the
meetings, research the issues, plan your desired outcomes, think about what you want to say,
and create a list of anticipated objections and how you will respond to each one.

Finally, you can refuse to let yourself be backed into a corner. If you need more time to evaluate
an issue and make a decision, say so. Tell folks that you want to gather more data, review the
information, and think longer about the decision.

9. If you lack strategic vision

The very skills that helped you succeed as an independent contributor (IC) can hold you back
from a promotion into senior leadership if you continue to fixate on them.

 Execution-oriented

 Focused on a singular goal

 Operational excellence

 Deep expertise in your vertical domain

 Mastery of your specific role

Obviously, these are all great things when you’re an IC. But, continuing to focus on that level
means that you aren’t operating at the next level, which requires a broader scope. Being deep in
the details is necessary as an IC, but seeing the bigger picture and creating a strategic vision
requires that you pull up out of the weeds.

To develop your strategic vision you need to research the competitive landscape for your
industry, be aware of the larger trends, understand what the goals are for your broader
organization, align your specific goals with those broader goals, map out where your
product/service needs to be to get ahead of the competition, describe a compelling vision for
what that end state will be, and create a strategic plan to get there.

“Strategic vision” is almost as fuzzy as “executive presence,” so perception is key. Keep your
manager in the loop with the work you are doing to create this vision. Communicate it often,
present to your team and the broader organization, and this will help position you as a creative,
visionary, and strategic leader.

Again, if this all seems like bullsh*t to you, then don’t change yourself. If you want to remain
true to your authentic being, then, by all means, do that. You will just need to accept that who
you are doesn’t map to your manager’s image of a senior leader, and you may never get
promoted.

If you still want to keep advancing your career, you will need to find a different path. That may
mean finding a manager who doesn’t care if you curse a little, wear concert t-shirts, and avoid
conflict. It may mean quitting your job to find a company that loves who you really are. It may
even mean that you need to break free and start your own thing, hire your own team, and build
your own culture.

But, the one thing you can’t do is keep complaining about things if you decide to stay. I’ve
experienced my fair share of folks who refused to change and just kept whining about how
unfair the system was. Not only did they never get promoted, they eventually got fired. No one
wants a toxic employee on their team.