How to instantly boost your confidence

Confidence is the backbone that fuels leadership and drives successful change management.

It is something that every Scrum Master should cultivate because it influences your effectiveness, likability, and overall radiance within the team.

But, how do you build confidence?

This article will show you a simple yet effective strategy to bolster your self-belief.

It will also fortify your professional profile (small job hunting hack), and boost your influence as a Scrum Master.

Confidence: The Cornerstone of Change Management

In the realm of change management, confidence is paramount.

As a Scrum Master, you are tasked with driving the adoption of the Scrum framework, catalyzing change, resolving conflicts, and leading a team towards a shared vision.

To be effective, you need to exert influence, inspire trust, and have a contagious energy that motivates and lifts your team.

Confidence is the foundation of this influence, likability, and radiance.

When you believe in yourself, you receive respect, inspire belief in others, and foster a more dynamic and collaborative team environment.

At the beginning of my career, I wasn’t as confident as I am today.

And I clearly remember one moment, where I said something (no clue anymore what it was) with such authority that team told me right afterwards:

“If you said everything with such certainty, we would believe every word you tell us.”

That’s why I want you to understand that confidence bolsters your authority without resorting to autocracy, and it is a catalyst in your ability to effect meaningful change.

Especially to you as a servant leader, who does not have formal authority, this is the secret weapon to success and more impact.

Boosting Confidence: The Power of Small and Big Wins

So, how can you boost your confidence?

One super simple yet powerful technique is to consistently acknowledge and celebrate your small and big wins. Especially the small ones.

In the words of the wise:

This practice allows you to accumulate evidence of your competence and achievements, which reinforces your confidence. Every day.

So, each day, ask yourself:

Whether it's successfully resolving a conflict, meeting a sprint goal, or even aiding a team member in a challenging task, jot down these victories.

And let yourself really feel the pride and satisfaction. Don’t just rationalize it in your head.

Over time, you'll have a long list of wins that serve as a potent reminder of your abilities and impact.

And, as an additional benefit, remembering your feats increases your levels of testosterone.

All that just by asking yourself that simple question. Nice, right?

Leveraging Tools for Continuous Confidence Building

I know, it’s not always easy to remember everything you did or write it down.

Your schedule is busy, you jump from meeting to meeting and in the evening, you want to unplug and relax. I get it.

Thankfully, you don't have to navigate this confidence-building journey alone. Tools like VisualCV offer invaluable support.

They prompt you via emails to reflect on and document your accomplishments, making the process of recognizing your wins a seamless part of your routine.

Of course, you can use an Excel sheet, a OneNote list, or an ever extending e-mail to memorize your accomplishments.

But if you want to leverage technology to help you remember your accomplishments AND build your CV at the same time, check out VisualCV.

VisualCV is the CV creator that I have used for the last five years and it has helped me land 3 jobs (my first full-time Scrum Master position, my first contractor job and my first follow on mandate as contractor).

The added bonus of using such a tool is that you'll be concurrently building an impressive, up-to-date resume.

Even though I use VisualCV for a long time already, I still remember the time I had to sift through years of experiences to extract my wins when I was compiling my CV manually. But not anymore.

Your achievements are logged in real-time, effectively painting a vivid picture of your growth and capabilities.

By leveraging tools like VisualCV, you reinforce your confidence daily and maintain a CV that showcases your evolving skills.

Boosting your confidence as a Scrum Master doesn't require a big shift.

By recognizing and celebrating your daily wins and leveraging tools to document these accomplishments, you can build a steadfast belief in yourself.

Remember, your confidence will radiate through the team, creating a more collaborative, motivated, and successful environment.

And, of course, you can share this hack with your team members.

Who knows what happens to your team performance once everyone in your team applies this technique?!

So don't underestimate the power of self-belief.

Start acknowledging your wins today, and watch your confidence, influence, and effectiveness soar.