Are you unintentionally undermining your own leadership confidence? Three surprisingly common behaviours may be holding you back. Here’s what to look out for and, more importantly, what to do instead. 👇
The 3 mistakes that undermine leadership confidence
You may have seen this article in your inbox a couple of months ago. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, it explores three surprisingly common leadership mistakes that can gradually chip away at our confidence.
1. Waiting for permission to have a voice
Holding back, staying quiet or constantly seeking reassurance may feel safe, but over time it teaches us to trust other people’s judgement more than our own.
2. Waiting to feel confident before taking action
We often tell ourselves, “I’ll do it when I feel more confident.”
The problem is, confidence rarely comes first. Courage comes first. Confidence follows.
Every time we take action despite uncertainty, we give ourselves evidence that we can handle more than we thought.
3. Taking ownership of problems that belong to others
Being supportive doesn’t mean becoming everyone’s problem-solver.
When we constantly step in, we risk exhausting ourselves while unintentionally teaching others to step back.
Great leadership isn’t about becoming indispensable. It is about helping others become more capable, confident and accountable.
👉 If you would like to join the conversation, check out the article here:
https://profoundleadership.com.au/the-3-mistakes-that-undermine-leadership-confidence/
Reflection
“Which of these three mistakes could be quietly undermining your leadership confidence?”
Quick win [leadership tip]
Support, don’t solve. Guide, don’t rescue.
The next time someone brings you a problem, resist the temptation to immediately give them the answer.
Instead, ask: “What do you think?”
Four simple words, but they can completely change the conversation. They create a deliberate pause and shift the responsibility for thinking back to the other person.
Instead of automatically solving the problem, you encourage them to explore possibilities, trust their judgement and take greater ownership. You could also ask:
- What options have you considered?
- What recommendation would you make?
- What’s your next step?
The goal isn’t to withhold support. It’s to change how you support. Remember:
Support, don’t solve. Guide, don’t rescue.
Sometimes the most empowering thing we can do as leaders is step back so someone else has the opportunity to step up.
Free Quick Guide [Reader Exclusive Resource]
Healthy boundaries. Stronger leadership. Sustainable success.
As leaders, we want to support others, but doing too much can leave us exhausted while unintentionally making others more dependent on us.
Healthy boundaries allow us to lead with strength and compassion, without sacrificing our own wellbeing. This reader exclusive, free Quick Guide explores practical ways to become more assertive, say no with clarity, protect your time and energy, and stop over-functioning so others have the opportunity to step up and take greater ownership.
“You can care deeply without carrying it all.”
A milestone worth celebrating [100 five-star reviews]
Last month, we celebrated 14 years of PROfound Leadership.
This month, you’ve given us another reason to celebrate. We recently reached an incredible milestone:
100 five-star Google reviews!
And before we even had a chance to properly celebrate, numbers 101 and 102 arrived. 😊
Of course, a number is just a number. What means far more to us is what sits behind those 102 reviews. Every review represents a person, a conversation, a workshop, a coaching session, an event or a moment where something clicked and made a positive difference.
Here are just a few words people have generously shared:
“The insights and practical tools shared were incredibly valuable and gave me a lot to reflect on.”
Natasha Stewart
“After my coaching session with Martin, I felt so much more confident in my voice. I felt clearer and was able to communicate my messages with confidence, clarity and intention.”
Lindsey O’Grady
“It’s easy to see why his programs are award-winning.”
Daryl Urbanski
Reaching this milestone means a great deal to us because trust isn’t something we ever want to take for granted.
So, to everyone who has trusted us with their development, invited us into their organisation, attended one of our events, recommended us to someone else or taken a few minutes to share their experience:
Thank you.
You are an important part of the PROfound Leadership community and the journey we’ve been on for the past 14 years. And, as always, we’ll continue doing everything we can to make that trust worthwhile.
Want to build more confident leaders?
Confidence rarely grows from simply knowing more. It grows through doing.
Having the conversation. Making the decision. Speaking up. Setting the boundary. Delegating responsibility. Allowing others to solve problems. And learning from what happens next.
Our leadership training and one-on-one coaching are designed to turn leadership knowledge into practical behaviours that can be applied in the real world.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your own leadership capability or develop the leaders within your organisation, we’d love to explore how we can support you.
Before you go, here’s a question I’d like to leave with you: Where are you currently carrying something that someone else needs the opportunity to carry for themselves?
Perhaps they don’t need you to take over. Perhaps they need you to believe that they can step up. Support them. Guide them. Believe in them. But give them the opportunity to grow.
And remember: You can care deeply without carrying it all.
As always, if you have questions or simply want to talk through options, reach out. We are on your support team.
