I co-wrote a book called Own Your Space a couple of years ago. One of my favorite chapters is called Own Your Confidence. Here is an excerpt.
Exuding a level of ease and confidence is critical to your career success because confidence has the power to create self-fulfilling prophecies.
Success may not be an easy journey for anyone, but when you’re navigating your way to the next level,
When you present information or answer a call, how would you rate your level of energy?
Do you exude the level of energy that says, “I am here, I am present, and what I have to communicate is important?” Or do you sound tired and disinterested? Energy is one of those intangible non-verbal qualities that is most noticeable when lacking.
Exuding a level of positive energy takes work, especially if you are in back-to-back meetings.
| I spent the month of January in South Africa, where 11 official languages are spoken.
Something I have tried to do each time I get into an Uber or pay for an item is ask how you say thank you in the language of the person I am interacting with. The look of sheer delight on the person’s face is always worth the effort, even if I butcher the pronunciation. |
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to speak at TEDxEmory. The overall theme was: What makes your heart beat? And my topic was Owning Your Confidence: How to Overcome Nervousness and Exude Confidence in High-Stakes Situations. I discussed several practical techniques to help you excel in even the most stressful of situations. They are practices I’ve developed over many years of being on television and speaking professionally around the world.
Given the choice of having a root canal or giving a speech, many opt for the former. Indeed, few tasks are more intimidating for many than giving a public speech or presentation.
One of the more popular suggestions for combatting nerves and feeling less intimidated is to visualize your audience naked. The idea is that if you could visualize your audience without their clothes they would appear more human, and therefore you would feel less vulnerable.
You may have heard the saying that “90% of life is just showing up” It’s something I say to myself whenever I cross the threshold of the gym or attend a neighborhood committee meeting.
The question is, do we really show up?
There is a big difference between physically being somewhere and really participating actively.
This applies to everything from being at work to social interaction.
I am so tired of going to social and professional events where people are showing up physically but not mentally.
Understanding your unique personality style is critical to mastering your communication skills. Equally important is your ability to assess others.
With this in mind, here are some key observational tools you can use in making your assessments.
Are you fundamentally fast-paced and outspoken, or do you tend towards being more thoughtful and observant? If you are confused by this question, then think about the last meeting you sat in. Did you immediately contribute your ideas,
How to OWN it to Persuade and Influence? We’re often told not to judge a book by its cover. But the truth is, that’s precisely what most of us do a lot of the time. We make judgments about the people we encounter very quickly. Therefore, it’s important to make a strong first impression. And to do that, you need to learn to own your physical space.
Own Your Style
While we may wish we could go to the office in yoga pants,
