Confidence and Product Leadership

So many product managers I speak to are held back by lack of confidence. When they are talking to senior leaders, they prep for hours since they want to be able to answer any possible question.  When they are asked something they do not know, they shrink in fear.

Inspired product leadership about being confident in ourselves and our knowledge. It is also having a sense of humility that you will not know everything and need to rely on those around you.

Building self-confidence, balanced with humility, is key to becoming an amazing product leader who inspires innovation within their teams. 

Here are a few ways to start to build your self confidence:

Become self-aware. Knowing your strengths will give you confidence, and facing up to the places where you need more development will help you determine what you need to focus on to level-up into inspired product leaderships.

Make the most of your mistakes, then forget about them. Mistakes are for learning, and only those who have ceased to develop never take a wrong step. Treat mistakes as a source of information and an opportunity for learning.

Limit self-blame. Kicking yourself for past mistakes and challenges gives fuel to self-doubt, so be positive with yourself.

Pick a role model. Choose a leader you admire. What qualities do they possess? Which of those qualities do you already have, and which do you need to develop?

Celebrate wins. We’re often so busy getting things done that we hardly take the time to acknowledge our wins. Celebrating accomplishments is a great way to boost your confidence.

Own your strengths. So many of us are so busy owning our weakness that we forget to own our strengths—the parts of us that are capable and competent to feel confident about what we do and who we are.

Stretch yourself. Try something outside the scope of what you’ve done before. Stretch your boundaries, go outside your comfort zone. Growth comes from discomfort. 

Be kind. Being kind to yourself is an important skill in building a leadership strategy. Issues with self-confidence are often rooted in a bad habit of punishing yourself. Learn to treat yourself with kindness and your confidence will grow.

Help others. Leadership confidence isn’t just about building your own track record of successes. The essence of leadership is helping others around you become more successful. And when you do, you also help yourself.

Are you ready to become an inspired product leader?