Having confidence is one of the most successful leadership skills there is.

Confidence is simply the belief that you can rely on someone or something.

When put like that, it is obvious why it is such an important leadership trait. If you are a leader, then you need to believe in a LOT of different things:

• Your vision
• Yourself
• Your team
• Your ideas
• Your plans
• Your decisions
• Etc.

Good leaders don’t just have confidence. They exude it. They don’t just act confidently, but they inspire others to as well. Having a vision is great and being passionate about it helps as well. However, if you aren’t confident in yourself or your team’s ability to pull it off – you have nothing.

Example: LeBron James

"I feel confident because I'm the best player in the world. It's simple."

LeBron James came into a man’s sport, while still a kid. He hit the league as an 18-year-old phenom, with the weight of expectation like no athlete ever before, and he instantly dominated.

He gave the above quote a few years ago when he was locked in a Finals battle with one of the greatest teams ever assembled in the NBA. His team (The Cavs) were down in the series and huge underdogs – but his confidence didn’t waver. In a legacy-defining moment, LeBron and the Cavs ended up defeating the odds and winning the championship that year.

Why It’s Important in Everyday Life:

Confidence is everything. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should the rest of us?

You need to be confident in your abilities, or else you won’t be able to reach your goals. Or worse – you will set goals that don’t motivate you or move the needle that much.

A lack of confidence will hold you back from taking chances. The kind of chances that might change your life. What if you miss out on taking a shot at that promotion because you don’t think you deserve it? What if you don’t ask out that friend you secretly long for because you don’t feel good enough?

Confidence doesn’t just hold you back. It cripples you. People can spot a lack of confidence a mile away as well. If you want to build genuine connections in your life – be it personal or business – then you need to be confident.

Confidence is believing in your ability to reach your goals. What could be more important than that?