How to Boost Self-confidence:

Confidence definitely influences power, and vice versa. There are tons of empirical research that speak to the benefits of being a more confident person. Confident people carry a different persona; one of poise, high self-worth, a willingness to back themselves, and an ability to lead and influence others to follow.

People who are not confident are less likely to succeed because they tend to constantly second- guess their abilities. There is a strong correlation between unconfident people and the proclivity toward emotional and social difficulties as they navigate through life.

Self-confident people are generally happier, healthier and live longer lives. Confident individuals push through ambiguity and uncertainty quicker than those who are not, bolstered by their ability to deal with the staunch reality that life often brings our way. They believe that, no matter what obstacles come their way, they have the ability to get past them.

To be a successful leader, we know that confidence is essential. To lead people and teams well, think about how the six factors below might help you get better results. Watch the self-talk. Do you listen more to your inner critic, or your inner coach? Your inner critic will often talk you out of backing yourself. Your inner coach will often fuel your energy to take a stand. Listen carefully for the voice that is in your inner ear. Think positively about yourself.

• Load on optimism. Think in terms of what is possible, not what is probable. Put your foot on the accelerator, not on the brake. Optimism correlates with mental and physical well-being. Over the age of 45, its influence on your quality of life is massive.
• List your strengths and achievements. Actually think long and hard about those traits and attributes about yourself that seem to make a difference in how you and the team perform. Be proud of your inherent strengths and play to them more. Hopefully you can build a stronger sense of purpose around those strengths that fuel and energise you.
• Make sure you set realistic and attainable goals. There should be some stretch in those goals, but nothing unreasonable. Self-awareness definitely helps. Be realistic about how quickly you can attain a major achievement. It helps to break it down into smaller chunks that then build toward the end goal.
• Make sure your external attributes match your inner confidence. If you feel good about yourself, people will see that — in your appearance, your hygiene, and how you present yourself. People infer more about you from what they visibly see, compared to what you actually say. Be sure that your verbal and non-verbal persona are aligned.
• It all ultimately loads on self-esteem. If you really back yourself, the connection you feel with other people is stronger. In fact, their confidence is often directly correlated with yours. Simply put, if you don’t believe in yourself, why should others believe in you?

#source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-boost-self-confidence-harold-hillman-phd