Struggling with confidence after negative feedback? Discover strategies to reclaim your assertiveness without losing your authenticity. Explore the challenges of societal pressures in the workplace and the journey of regaining self-assurance. Learn about the 'trust triangle' of empathy, authenticity, and logic to foster trust with colleagues. Embrace discomfort as a path to personal growth, and find out how effective communication can build deeper connections. Tune in for practical confidence hacks and inspiring insights!
The episode emphasizes that rebuilding confidence at work requires balancing authenticity, empathy, and logic through the trust triangle framework.
Practical strategies such as embracing discomfort and engaging more assertively in discussions can significantly boost confidence and leadership presence.
Deep dives
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Navigating Workplace Perceptions
The podcast features a caller, Emma, who struggles with being perceived as overly assertive in her professional environment as a product manager. Despite her confidence and capabilities, past feedback from colleagues has led her to stifle her assertiveness, creating internal conflict regarding her leadership presence. The hosts guide her towards understanding that her perceived aggressiveness might stem from miscommunication and that her confidence should not be diminished; instead, it should be harnessed to convey her ideas effectively. This discussion sheds light on the common challenges individuals face in balancing authenticity with interpersonal dynamics in the workplace.
The Trust Triangle Concept
An important framework introduced in the episode is the trust triangle, which consists of authenticity, logic, and empathy as critical components for effective leadership. The hosts explain that to foster trust, all three elements must work in harmony, and if any one is lacking, it can result in miscommunication and hindered relationships, particularly with senior leaders. Emma's experience illustrates that she might be excelling in empathy but lacking authenticity during key presentations, which affects her credibility. The balancing act of presenting oneself authentically while still being empathetic to the audience's needs is crucial for effective leadership and impact.
Practicing Discomfort for Growth
The hosts encourage Emma to become comfortable with discomfort as a pathway to building her confidence and improving her leadership skills. They suggest practical strategies such as participating in discussions more assertively, teaching her expertise to others, or even exploring improv as a way to enhance her responsiveness and reduce anxiety in high-stakes situations. By gradually taking risks and facing discomfort in controlled environments, she can learn to manage her anxiety and boost her confidence over time. This approach emphasizes that confidence often comes as a byproduct of action rather than a precondition, highlighting the importance of practice in real-world settings.
When negative feedback shakes your confidence, it can be difficult to get back to feeling like yourself at work. In this episode, Anne and Frances help a struggling listener who has spent years toning herself down in the workplace after being told that she was too assertive — now, she feels that her modest approach is holding her back. Together, they use Anne and Frances’s “trust triangle” framework to explore how empathy, authenticity, and logic can help you rebuild confidence and trust with your colleagues, and share helpful confidence hacks for getting comfy with discomfort.
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