Confidence is important in leadership, but every leader encounters struggles in this area at some point—often at many points—in their leadership journey. But author and leadership expert Dan Reiland offers great insight and practical help in his book, Confident Leader.
Reiland provides a roadmap to help leaders move from being overconfident, underconfident, to authentic confidence. What’s the difference?
Over-confidence is the overestimation of your abilities, assuming you are greater than you really are. Under-confidence is the result of “believing less in your abilities than God does.” It’s influenced by fear, insecurity, failures, and the opinions of others. But authentic confidence is a “grounded assurance” based on God’s presence and power. It combines acceptance, appreciation, and the cultivation of our God-given gifts and abilities.
What kind of confidence do you have? Reiland observes, “The moment you step up to lead, you immediately become aware of your level of confidence.” So, how do you cultivate authentic confidence? Reiland offers a roadmap organized into three parts of the book, each illustrated by three Biblical leaders: Moses, David, and Nehemiah.
DEEP FOUNDATIONAL DECISIONS
First, confidence begins with Deep Foundational Decisions “that establish stability and certainty in knowing who you are and how you were designed to lead at your best.” Leaders must take charge of their leadership confidence, overcome disbelief, establish their identity in Christ, learn to hear and heed God’s voice, and cultivate the qualities of a confident leader.
I appreciate Dan’s focus on spiritual intimacy in the first section of the book. And his chapter on the Soul highlights five core qualities to embrace: humility, gratitude, generosity, security, and courage. Interestingly, as I reflected on these qualities, I realized they are at the core of some of the best leaders I know.
DELIBERATE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Second, confidence requires Deliberate Character Development. Reiland observes:
“The bottom line is that a lack of competence can slow you down, but a lack of character can take you out. If you lack skill, you can improve; if you lack character, you are destined for a fall.”
Character gives depth to confidence and includes five important qualities: consistency, authority, adaptability, improvement, and resilience.
An insightful observation Reiland makes in his chapter on resilience is related to “The Anatomy of Pressure.” He notes, “When you begin in ministry, you start off with low pressure and high margin. But in time, you will inevitably have high pressure and low margin.” Your goal isn’t to avoid pressure, but to increase your ability to handle it and regulate it. He then offers five very helpful tips to navigate pressure, especially in low-margin seasons: Get your perspective right, tend to your soul, know your healthy pressure-relief valve, right-size the problem, and lean in to it.
DAILY PRACTICAL DISCIPLINES
The third key to cultivate confidence is Daily Practical Disciplines. These are the essential competencies a leader must practice every day. Simply put, leaders must determine direction, focus on the game plan, care about those they lead, communicate an optimistic message, and develop leaders. His chapter on Communication offers some particularly helpful insight on optimism killers and optimism builders.
Confident Leader is a great resource with inspiration and application to boost your confidence—not just for a day but for a lifetime. That’s what I love about this book. The confidence solution Dan offers is grounded in insights that endure the test of time and the trials of leadership. Simply put, he offers a way to grow confidence that can weather the ups and downs of leadership.
Plus, Reiland includes several great interviews with highly effective leaders who have cultivated the confidence to lead with excellence—leaders like John Maxwell, Chris Hodges, Crawford Loritts, Jenni Catron, Sam Chand, Carey Nieuwhof, and others.
I highly recommend Confident Leader. Dan Reiland provides a powerful combination of depth and practicality in an easy-to-read format. Pick up a copy of Confident Leader today.
