I am not good enough to get that job. I can never be a good leader, why should I apply for that job. No matter whether you are interviewing for a new job or taking up some leadership role in your organization, everyone at some point in life nurture a self-doubt in his career. The reasons for all might be different. Some may have lost a job and with that, their confidence, while some may be returning to work in a certain profile after a long break. Irrespective of why the self doubt, you should focus on how to stay clear of this feeling as it can literally wreck your personal and professional life.
A person in self-doubt feels miserable, inadequate, and insecure. The only way to overcome this feeling is by having a faith in you. Remember, it is not unusual that successful people had a self-doubt at some point in their journey. Your success is solely dependent on your competency, training, experience, and learning skills. Self-doubt has no role in deciding your success or failure. Once you are aware of this, the journey to become a successful leader would start to prosper.
Tips to overcome self-doubt:
Remember, you are not alone – Most leaders going through the phase of self-doubt feels that it is just they who are struggling with this battle. However, this is wrong; most organizations trigger such feelings among employees. A study by the European Institute for Leadership and Management revealed that almost 50% of female and 31% of male managers acknowledged experiencing this feeling in their career.
Have Q & A sessions with yourself - Try to test your doubts to check they are real or just your imagination. Sometimes a faulty thinking pattern can lead to such doubts. A better tip is to keep a diary to note your feelings and chalk out the beliefs that are not helping you in your career success. Analyze the cause of your self-doubt and challenge it. See the whole situation in a positive light, self-doubt will automatically disappear.
Relax - So you are in self-doubt and constantly analyzing your weaknesses. Stop it now! It is better to take some time off and relax. Do activities that you enjoy and then come back to the situation with a positive frame of mind.
Take help - A good advice from a mentor is all that you need to overcome the feelings of self-doubt. In fact, researchers have proven that a positive support from your friends or colleagues can alleviate self-doubt largely.
A good leader is the one who can see the positive within and help his/her team discover the same within themselves. Battling the self-doubt battle and coming out as a success can help you assist your team in doing the same.
Leadership training is one aspect which can help you get a hold of your intrinsic skills to lead a successful team.
So, Bye bye self-doubt, Hello self-confidence!
Arun Rao is a corporate trainer in reputed company and who writes on numerous topics including Leadership, Corporate training, Team Building & Induction Training, to name a few.