Build Belief
Have you ever talked yourself out of something before you even started?
What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and success wasn’t the challenge itself, but your belief that you weren’t ready for it?
There is a principle often discussed in personal development that goes something like this:
Your thoughts become your feelings.
Your feelings become your beliefs.
Your beliefs drive your actions—or your inaction.
And those actions ultimately determine your success or failure.
That principle reminds me of a quote often attributed to Henry Ford:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”
As a kid, I was smaller than most of my counterparts, but I was extremely competitive and hated to lose at anything. When we organized pickup games in the neighborhood, I convinced myself that I could compete with anyone, and more often than not, I found a way to win.
Part of that confidence came from being older than my younger brothers. I had advantages that made success easier to achieve.
Then I began playing Little League baseball several years earlier than most kids.
Suddenly everything changed.
I was competing against players who were older, bigger, and stronger. For the first time, I felt intimidated. I could field my position well, but when I stepped into the batter’s box, I carried the baggage of previous failures with me.
I became afraid to strike out.
In fact, I became so concerned about failing that I eventually talked myself out of swinging altogether. If I struck out looking, I could blame the umpire. If I never truly committed to the swing, I never had to fully confront the possibility that I might fail.
The truth was that I hadn’t lost the ability to hit.
I had lost the belief that I could.
And that loss of belief translated directly into poor results.
As leaders, one of our greatest responsibilities is helping people develop both competence and confidence. We invest significant time teaching skills, sharing knowledge, and developing capability.
Yet sometimes the greatest gift we can provide isn’t instruction.
It’s belief.
Every person on our team has potential they cannot fully see yet.
They have strengths they underestimate.
Capabilities they haven’t fully developed.
Possibilities they haven’t yet imagined.
Sometimes all that is required is a little encouragement to light the fire of belief within them.
A few words.
A vote of confidence.
A reminder of what they are capable of becoming.
When leaders help people believe in themselves, amazing things can happen.
Have you ever talked yourself out of something before you even started?
Where might self-doubt be limiting your performance today?
Who on your team has more potential than they currently believe they have?
CHALLENGE
Identify one person who may be doubting themselves. Take a few minutes today to encourage them, remind them of their strengths, and help them see what is possible. Your belief may be exactly what they need to begin believing in themselves.
