Yahoo Lifestyle Is the 'confidence gap' preventing you from reaching your full potential?
You’re accomplished, capable and experienced – and yet, when a promotion or more senior position is up for grabs, that whisper of self-doubt creeps in. “Am I really ready? What if I’m not good enough? What if I can't do it?” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
As a professional coach, I get to work with plenty of brilliant, high-achieving women as they navigate their career journeys. Sadly, I see it all too often: women holding back – not because they lack the skills or experience, but because they lack the self-belief. It’s been labelled the 'confidence gap', and it’s real.
Research from Cornell University found that women tend to underestimate their abilities, while men are more likely to overestimate theirs, even when performance is equal. Whatever the reason, this gap in self-perception is costing women more senior opportunities, and we need to do something about it.
Confidence isn’t something you’ve either got or you haven’t; it’s a skill you can develop, and it grows with practice. So, what can you do to close your own confidence gap and step into your next chapter with courage and conviction?
4 steps to becoming more confident at work
1. Get comfortable with ‘good enough’
Perfectionism is confidence’s worst enemy. Statistics show that girls are more than twice as likely to show this trait in childhood than boys. So, try accepting that you don’t need to be 100 per cent ready. No one is. Progress, not perfection, is the goal. Start regularly asking yourself: “Is what I'm working on right now good enough?” If the answer is ‘yes’, then go for it.
2. Replace your inner fears with facts
Many women internalise old clichés: about being too much, not enough, too ambitious, not experienced enough, too emotional, too cold. These assumptions, if left unchecked, get louder and more elaborate as time goes on – especially when you’re feeling uncertain. Identify the beliefs that are holding you back, and consciously choose new ones based on facts. So, if fear says, “I’m never going to get that job, they’re looking for someone with more experience”, then facts could counteract with: “I’ve been promoted before; I have relevant experience; I don’t know exactly what they’re looking for; there’s nothing stopping me.”
3. Take action
Confidence follows action, which is why we should always try doing hard things. That presentation, pitch or application? If you go into every situation with a mindset that says ‘whatever happens, I’m going to learn something about myself today’, it takes pressure off the outcome and helps build trust in yourself.
4. Surround yourself with supporters
Build a circle of women who lift you up, inspire you, challenge you, and reflect back your strengths when you need a reminder.
Don't forget, self-doubt is not a sign that you’re not ready, it’s a sign that you’re growing. With the right mindset, tools and support, that next-level version of you can be more than just a dream. If you wait to be chosen, you could be waiting forever, so why not make a commitment to choose yourself?
Jo Glynn-Smith is a transformation coach, speaker and personal-brand expert from London who works with leaders, entrepreneurs and businesses to help maximise their team or individual potential. Before becoming a coach, she spent most of her career in the fashion industry working at the highest level with some of the biggest global brands. You can follow Jo for more coaching tips and advice on Instagram (@jojoglynnsmith), download her podcast The Midlife Entrepreneur, or visit her website, joglynnsmith.com.
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