Recommendation From Feminine CEOs: Learn how to Construct Confidence In and Out of the Workplace

The business world has made tremendous strides to ensure that more women reach the C-suite, but many are still struggling with low self-esteem – the ultimate hurdle for women on their way to realizing their full potential.

When we got to the end of Women’s History Month, I had the opportunity to connect with several strong female CEOs who were determined to inspire and empower other aspiring female leaders with the confidence they need to grow to reach.

They share their insights on how to silence self-doubt and embrace self-confidence in order to succeed. Here’s what they had to say:

Believe in yourself

Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America’s largest hair dryer bar franchise, emphasizes the importance of accepting vulnerability and believing in yourself even when others don’t. Yakobson shares, “When you act confidently, you will feel confident.”

By practicing self-confidence and practicing self-confidence, you will be endowed with the courage to take on challenges, demand respect, and encourage others to listen. This can start with small actions, e.g. B. pay attention to body language, observe the tone of voice, walk purposefully, stand upright and make eye contact.

Yakobson explains that as a leader, you need to prove to yourself that you are capable. “Don’t be afraid to be out there,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to try. Find opportunities, take your place at the table, share your ideas and observations.”

Once you see others respond positively to your posts and your self-esteem, Yakobson realizes that there is an increasing tendency for you to get actively involved in the future.

Always be prepared. Keep learning

Linda Chadwick, CEO of Ritas Italian Ice, cites previous successes to share how she has gained confidence in the workplace. “I think my trust comes from two key factors,” she says. “The first factor was something I learned pretty early in life: always be prepared.”

Chadwick shares that in order to win, she knew she had to be the best-prepared person in the room. “As a result, I used a rationale of ‘plus two’,” she explains. “I would learn the topic that I had to address – for example explain how we would grow by a certain percentage in the next quarter. But then I would mentally dive two depths into the topic.”

In addition to ensuring readiness, Chadwick shares the second key to finding trust. “I made sure that I was studying all the time,” she says. “After a particularly good meeting, I would reflect, celebrate and anchor the feeling of success. If I missed the mark, I would correct all problems – then celebrate to learn something new. This enabled me to become more and more self-confident at every encounter and engagement, and now my confidence is seldom shaken, no matter the outcome. “

Build competence over time

For Shannon Petteruti, CEO of DripBar, a franchise that helps people achieve their best health with intravenous therapy, the advice on building trust starts with building competency, celebrating victories, and persevering.

“Trust can be built by being open-minded and willing to learn from the knowledge of others, regardless of their position in your company or in your life. A great sign of trust is being open to new thoughts, yours Being able to question your own ideas, “says Petteruti.

Winning can help build trust at all levels. But Petteruti also emphasizes the importance of remembering to get up again if you come up short. “No matter how hard you strive for perfection, you will eventually fall,” she says. “Accepting this as part of your journey and not allowing it to shake your confidence are critical elements to growth. There are no mistakes, just lessons to be learned.”

Prioritize professional development

For Kim Gubera, CEO of Pirtek USA, the premier hydraulic hose repair and replacement franchise, prioritizing career development ultimately led her to gain more trust.

She hired a language coach to develop her speaking skills ahead of an important company-wide opening speech as the new CEO. “I didn’t see myself as a charismatic speaker back then. That’s why I decided to hire a language coach beforehand, which helped boost my self-confidence immediately, which ultimately made me feel and act more charismatic when speaking.”

Gubera recommends using coaches, mentors, or trusted soundboards to further build confidence in your career.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.