Michael Heath - Leadership

Work is always going to put these challenges in our way. The way we deal with them conveys a lot to those around us. So it’s vital that we maintain a confident manner. We need to approach difficult or ambiguous situations with the conviction that ‘all will come good’. So how can you sustain a belief in one’s powers and abilities? Here are some practical techniques to help you appear – and feel – more confident.

1 Project a positive attitude.There’s a link between our physiological and psychological selves. If we tell ourselves to appear confident, the body assumes the posture of confidence. This begins to make us feel genuinely confident!

2 Maintain appropriate eye contact.Every culture has rules about eye contact. In many Western countries, failure to maintain eye contact can be interpreted as submissive.

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you”

African proverb

3 Watch those hands.Hands are often a big ‘give-away’ about how someone is feeling. Keep them in control and still. You’ll appear much more relaxed.

4 Prepare thoroughly for any task.What often drains confidence away is the feeling that we are out of our depth. Preparation reassures us before we go into challenges and is rarely wasted.

5 Dress confidently.Going into situations knowing that a shirt or blouse is too tight makes us lose confidence. Dress appropriately and always feel you look smart.

6 Choose your opinions carefully.Don’t commit to definite opinions that you have trouble defending. Give opinions which you feel confident of defending and do so if challenged.

7 Notice any feelings of vulnerability.When people start to feel ‘out of their depth’ they can feel vulnerable. This vulnerability might express itself in aggressive or submissive behaviour. Stay calm, focused and assertive.

Being able to display confidence, even during difficult periods, gives confidence to the team and keeps morale high.

Good posture and appropriate eye contact project confidence to others.

Enthusiasm and passion are two emotions leaders must possess. And they have to be able to inspire those same qualities in those who surround them. Employees are often swept along by an enthusiastic leader’s determination and single-mindedness to realize a goal. In time they too become enthusiastic and passionate about the same things.

What’s so different about passion and enthusiasm is that they are not taught but caught. You can’t teach people to be passionate or enthusiastic. It’s contagious. It spreads like a positive virus through the team. It transforms the energy of people.

I love the origin of the word ‘enthusiasm’. It’s from the Greek word ‘entheos’ which translates into ‘the God within’. I prefer to think of it as ‘the spirit within’. A deep, profound energy that makes you work tirelessly to achieve your goals. So how do we create the right conditions for this magical virus to spread?

“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm”

Vince Lombardi, American football coach

Maintain an optimistic outlook. Pessimists and cynics drag everybody down. Face up to all obstacles with the conviction you will succeed.

Find people who share the same passion. There will be others outside your team who equally share your enthusiasm and passion. Seek them out on bad days!

Control your emotions when faced with disappointment. When setbacks occur a team might try and read the reactions of the leader. Be aware of this and hide any emotion when confronting setbacks.

Allow people to experience temporary lows. It’s human nature. We all lose enthusiasm occasionally. Just don’t let them stay there. Move them quickly to the next tip…

Concentrate on what can be done. Negative teams meet an obstacle and immediately respond, “Typical. I knew this would happen.” You’ll only overcome it by concentrating minds on what can be done.

Never let your enthusiasm interfere with your objectivity. Enthusiasm can, with some people, turn into obsession. Healthy doses of good feedback help you retain that objectivity.

And remember that enthusiasm and passion are not necessarily about bouncing around as if you’re on springs all the time. There are many people who are equally enthusiastic but, because they are not as extroverted, will show it in their own way.

Passion is contagious and can spread rapidly through a team.

Are you about to rush through this page to get on to the next topic? If so, how much would you really take in? When someone’s speaking, are you similarly waiting for them to move on? Being impatient may look dynamic but it rarely has a positive outcome. In fact, impatience often leads to misunderstanding, rework and repair.

Leadership demands patience. After all, we’re taking people not into the next hour, day, week or even month. We’re leading them to a distant place. A place that lies over the known horizon. Therefore we must have patience and self-control. So what do we need patience for? We need patience to deal with people, politics and perspective.

Most people are not immovable in their thinking. But they have to feel that they have control over the decision to change. When pressure is applied they might comply. But they will not be persuaded.

Goals often mean that you will need the assistance of others. Winning them over to your cause may take time. Thinking that you’ll just force it through anyway creates instant enemies. With people, time is a friend – not an enemy.

“Sit by the river long enough…your enemies will float by”

Confucius, Ancient Chinese sage

Every organization has its politics. You have to read the politics and learn to wait patiently for the right time to move. There are better times to ask people to help you in your goals. Lose patience and you could move too quickly. Worse still, your miscalculation could end that person’s good will for ever.

Finally, you must retain perspective. When it comes to standing your ground for things you really believe in, you want to be sure it’s for the right things. Impatient people do not choose their conflicts wisely and suffer as a result. Perspective is also about thinking twice when you’re asked to help others. If you’re a generous person then you may help. But what you could be doing is sidetracking your team’s energies into things that divert them from their goal. Patience involves assessing opportunities and seeing if that’s what they really are.

We must patiently take people with us. Take the time to understand the political environment we work in. Retain a cool perspective and make sure that short-term activities really do contribute to our long-term goals.

Impatience can often waste more time, especially having to repair the problems our impatience caused.

We sometimes describe people as ‘a really warm person’. We might also refer to someone as being ‘cold and distant’. A leader doesn’t necessarily have to be liked. But they make life so much easier for themselves when they are. The ability to show genuine personal warmth towards employees can be a real advantage.

Showing personal warmth to people must be genuine. Haven’t you noticed that those who only pretend to be personally warm often come across as patronizing and insincere? Insincerity in a leader is usually disastrous. Better to be a cold – but honest – leader than a false, insincere one.