Confidence Is Vital To Be An Outstanding Entrepreneur
In my experience and observation, confidence is an important characteristic of almost every successful entrepreneur.
Think about the entrepreneurs you know. I’m sure you know some who are successful and achieve or exceed the results they seek on a consistent basis. I’m sure you also know some who rarely if ever achieve their desired results. How many of the ‘successful’ entrepreneurs you know exhibit a high level of confidence? I’m willing to bet that it’s most, if not all of them.
I’ve had the good fortune of interacting with a large number of successful entrepreneurs over the years. Almost to a person, the successful entrepreneurs with whom I’ve interacted are very confident people! What do I mean by confident? I don’t mean that they’re arrogant or braggarts, though some certainly are. I don’t mean that they flaunt their wealth or success, though some certainly do. I don’t mean that they live in a la-la-land of irrational positivity. And I definitely don’t mean that they’re overconfident, such that they’re unwilling to learn from their mistakes, blindly believing that they’re always right.
I also don’t mean that they’ve always been very confident. Many of them I’ve known for a large number of years, long before they became successful entrepreneurs. They didn’t always exude this confidence that I now see in them as successful entrepreneurs.
What I do mean is that they have a belief in their ideas and in their ability to execute on their vision for their businesses. They have a strong belief in the importance of their mission as entrepreneurs, a level of belief so strong that many would describe it as a conviction. This conviction gives them confidence that is communicated both verbally and non-verbally in all their actions related to their businesses. They exude confidence and belief that their businesses will be successful and they will reach their goals in life.
Why is this confidence so important?
First, this confidence and belief are contagious. Anyone with whom these entrepreneurs interact can feel their confidence, which tends to help make them believers as well. It makes them believers in the entrepreneur, in the business, and in the products and services it provides. An entrepreneur who doesn’t project such confidence doesn’t enjoy this same highly paved path to engendering belief in others. It’s a sort of belief facilitator.
Second, given the confidence these entrepreneurs have, they do not hesitate to talk to others and tell them all about their business and the great products and services it has to offer. In most, there is quite literally zero hesitation.
Third, with such confidence, these entrepreneurs don’t hesitate to go after opportunities that come across their desks or they observe in the marketplace. There are no thoughts such as “can we do that” or “will others do it better”. Rather, given their confidence, these entrepreneurs know that they can provide a better solution than their competitors (even if this is stretch sometimes…) and they happily will tell their prospects so.
Fourth, possessing such confidence, these entrepreneurs typically approach opportunities, challenges and all interactions with a high level of energy. This energy is also infectious and helps them to persuade others, including members of their teams, that now is the time to take initiative and accomplish whatever goal they have in their sights. Thus, they are able to project their confidence and energy on others, further increasing their odds of success in any particular initiative or challenge.
So, are you ready to increase your level of confidence and start approaching your business and your life with this newfound confidence?
How do you gain more confidence? Well, some people are born with it. Some have it cultivated in them from a young age by parents and others who tell them they believe in them and that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. For most people, though, confidence develops over a period of time, based on a series of small successes that when taken together, cause the person to think, “hey, I may not be so bad at this after all”.
You need to give yourself opportunities to succeed, and rather than always being your own biggest critic, acknowledge, even if just in your own mind at the beginning, that you can and do add a lot of value in your business and elsewhere. You need to become your own biggest fan. Also, equally important, if not more important, you need to surround yourself with people who are there to help you accomplish your goals, rather than with people who constantly look for ways to tear you down.
This way, little by little, you will develop all the confidence you need to be successful as an entrepreneur and in whatever other endeavors you pursue. I guarantee you that once you gain and exude this confidence, you will be amazed by the outstanding results it typically brings you as an entrepreneur. Again, we’re not talking about being over-confident and arrogant – humility is always important – we’re talking about a belief in yourself and what you’re doing that is contagious and infects those with whom you come in contact.