Do you know what it means to be self-assured? Do you know how to build up self-assurance? Do you think being self-assured is a bad thing?
Confidence is key when it comes to preparing for life experiences. It’s confidence and self-assurance that allow us to keep moving forward. In this blog, we’ll be walking you through the importance of self-assurance, the misconceptions, and how to build it up in the workplace.
What is self-assurance and why is it important?
Self-assurance is your attitude and perception about your own abilities and skills. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You can pinpoint your strengths, weaknesses, and set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.
The benefits of being self-assured yield great results. Not just for you but those around you as well. Self-assurance, just like self-confidence, gives you the ability to explore outside your comfort zone. You’re willing to experience smart risks, push out negativity, and gain motivation to fulfill personal and professional goals.
Your confidence will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.
— Michelle Obama, former First Lady
When it comes to your peers, being self-assured allows you to communicate with others assertively, embrace constructive feedback, and influence others to take responsibility for their lives. The benefits of self-assurance are endless for your professional development, but there’s a thin line between self-assurance and cockiness.
Self-assurance vs. arrogance
Being self-assured is not about cockiness, arrogance, or overconfidence. In fact, many professionals are afraid to truly embrace their confidence out of fear of coming off too arrogant. Remember, self-assurance and cockiness are not related with each other.
According to Merriam-Webster, arrogant is defined as “showing an offensive attitude of superiority.” In terms of the workplace, arrogance can be described as showing off your accomplishments or bragging about one’s skill set. This type of behavior tends to deflect blame, find opportunities to one-up colleagues, and hinder relationships.
Self-assurance is the feeling of appreciation towards our own abilities. While pride and arrogant individuals can be described as those who are consistently comparing themselves to others. It goes without saying, but avoid this behavior at all cost.
How to build self-assurance
According to educator and activist Brittany Packnett, some factors that can contribute to building up your self-assurance is permission, community, and curiosity. Take a peek at how Packnett breaks down self-assurance and growth mind activities for eager professionals.
Developing self-assurance takes practice. Not just in your personal life but in your professional as well. To build off of Packnett’s “three ways to crack the code of confidence,” here are more ways for you to increase your sense of self-assurance in the workplace.
- Leverage your strengths. Don’t be timid when it comes to praising your efforts and progress. You did the hard work of asking for peer feedback and implementing into your personal journey. Whether it’s big or small, take time to recognize those strides.
- Embrace the setbacks. When you stumble on an obstacle, treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Don't dwell on failure, and remember that past experiences don’t dictate your future.
- Take a step back. Slow down and take the take to look at the big picture. Think logically about the obstacle at hand.
- Set realistic goals. It’s impossible to be perfect in every aspect of life. Creating achievable goals will help you attain them faster and keep the motivation flowing.
It’s perfectly normal to not feel self-assured all the time. Everyone has moments of doubt, but it’s important to remember that they don’t define you. Rather, your doubts give you an opportunity to re-evaluate what you really want for yourself.
