Many people start in business on the bottom rung of the professional ladder. With time and experience, they gradually climb that ladder until they end up in a management position. While this may have been your goal, it doesn’t mean you immediately feel like you have the confidence to lead your subordinates. Fortunately, manager confidence can be grown with time. You may be able to prove yourself as a confident manager by doing some of the following things.
Taking a Course in Leadership
While you might be confident in your job and the industry in which you work, becoming a manager and being responsible for daily operations can understandably make you feel a lot of pressure. If you lack confidence in your new role, consider enrolling in a Deakin Online masters course, such as the Master of Leadership online program. This type of program can help you see just how competent you really are while also helping you build on your capabilities.
Be Kind to Yourself
Even though you may have stepped into the management role only recently, you’re likely putting immense pressure on yourself to be a competent, confident manager immediately. Be kind to yourself just as you would be kind to any other employee changing roles.
It will take some time for you to feel comfortable in the role, and you’ll likely make mistakes along the way. Set the bar high for yourself, but don’t set it so high that it’s impossible to reach.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and people in management roles are no different. Your weaknesses might be that you struggle with time management or speaking in a group, while your strengths might be excellent communication skills and compassion.
By identifying what you’re good at and what you need to work on, you can put a plan in place for using those strengths and weaknesses to your advantage, and to build your manager confidence. For example, you might decide to take a course to help with time management to become the best, most confident manager you can be.
Ask for Help
Even if you have been working hard to be promoted into management, that doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about the role. Confidence in a new position comes with time, experience, and support. If you have someone you can rely on to answer any questions you have and help with your stress levels, you may be able to increase your confidence levels at speed.
Act Confident
The saying “fake it ‘til you make it” can sometimes ring true. While you don’t need to act like you know everything about your role, you can appear confident in business etiquette until that confidence becomes authentic.
Work on your posture, make eye contact, speak confidently, and shake hands with a firm grip. These aren’t guaranteed confidence tips, but they may build you up enough until you’re able to feel as confident as you look.
No matter how much you’ve prepared yourself for a role in management, it can still be daunting and sometimes scary. To gain much-needed manager confidence in leadership, look at educational opportunities, ask for help, and act as confident as you will one day feel.
