7 Top Tips to For Building Confidence For Women in Business and Leadership

As a woman leader in business you always need to know how to build on your levels of confidence. The good news is that staying confident in your abilities is something that you can control. These 7 top tips give you specific ways that you can develop your abilities and increase your self awareness in leadership.

1. Listen. Listening is one of the most important skills for any leaders to develop. It is more important than speaking skills as listening lets you form the foundation for a good public speech. Learn to listen to the right people who have wisdom to share. Be selective about whom you listen to and the type of information you feed to your brain. Verify information and be sure your sources are accurate and worthwhile. There's so much talking and things being said that it's easy to get confused. You can't be a confident leader if you design your information base from faulty materials, so learn to listen carefully.

2. Prepare. A confident leader is a prepared leader. She knows what she will present and how to present it. Preparation even means having the right materials in order for you to present a professional and powerful image through your dress and accessories. Don't wait until the last minute to pull things together that you need to be a confident leader. By staying prepared, you can accept an invitation that could expand you career at what seems like a moment's notice, because you are always ready to make a move. Preparation is the key to being confident because you will know what you can do and what you understand about a situation. Preparation is how leaders stay confident in all circumstances.

3. Mentor. Leaders learn how to lead by watching the steps of a mentor. A mentor is usually a person who is wiser in an area than you. You can't learn everything from a book; practical knowledge is needed to know how the theories actually work. Find a mentor to show you the insider ropes to leadership. Mentoring is a needful skill for women in leadership and one that many women are not provided with on a normal basis. If you don't have a person to mentor you in your local area of company, look for a professional mentor or leaders in professional associations or organizations locally or online. Contact that person and ask them to be your mentor.

4. Network. A confident leader will have a strong network of influential people that she can call on in a variety of circumstances. Your network should have people who provide insider information, can provide contacts that move your goals along, and be people who can tell you where to go and when to increase your visibility and opportunities. Carefully create a strong network of power brokers that you can nurture and grow in order to build your leadership confidence.

5. Assess. Take time to assess your personal and professional background and realize how many sills and abilities you actually have. It's easy to forget how skilled you might actually be because of your busy lifestyle. You might have forgotten that you already know what a lot of people are trying to learn. You can find opportunities to teach, lead, guide and mentor from a data base of skills you already possess. This lets you understand the range of your capabilities and potential.

6. Train. Stay on top of the latest technology and continue to increase you knowledge in areas pertinent to your leadership. Taking courses to increase your skills is easy with the addition of online and offline classes. You can find a course in almost any topic. Don't get behind when it's simple to stay ahead of the learning curve by getting the training and education you need. Go to workshops and seminars include those designed especially for women in leadership positions.

7. Read. Leaders are readers. It is known that people who lead will read at least 12 books on business and leadership a year, if not more. Pick up a book and read it. Learning just one new concept or technique will be worth the price. Also get a subscription to a leadership magazine and read monthly updates on what people are doing in different industries. Take ideas from one place and use them to enhance the operations where you are. Read newspapers, special reports and white papers and online ezines designed for women leaders.

These 7 tips provide important ideas that you can use to increase your levels of confidence as a women leader. You can take immediate responsibility for your leadership growth by doing the things that let you know you are prepared, ready and able to lead when the time comes.

Consuelo Meux, Ph.D. coaches professional and executive women to build the confidence and communication skills to start and grow a small business that generates elegance and financial freedom. Get a free business plan template, resources and other support at her website. Enjoy monthly teleclasses on Communication Skills for Successful Business Women for only $9.95 a month. Private fast track coaching is available for the woman who is ready to move into her success - fast. http://www.consuelomeux.com

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About Blogger: Known as creative, enthusiastic and passionate, Lisa Hromada, personal brand strategist, designer, and creator of Brand Essentials Home Study Program, specializes in brand communication and design for women entrepreneurs and small business owners. What makes you extraordinary? Are you effectively communicating your promise of value to your ideal audience? Are you attracting the success you're meant to have? Find out how you can increase your business success through creating a powerful personal brand: http://www.lisahromada.com