It started by registering for a “build your confidence course.” The very first assignment was to list 100 things I liked about myself.
Corny?
Yes.
Insightful?
You bet.
It was a simple exercise, yet it showed where real business opportunity could be found.
What 2020 gave business owners was a gift. This isn’t to ignore the hardships that thousands of businesses have had. It’s to highlight the gift of going inward to see if we’re aligned with the values we claim are ours. To see if the actions we take are guided by the right values.
In taking the time to go through what it was that I even liked about myself – including my business – opportunities came. This is what happens when we get clear on who we are, what we stand for and why we commit our lives to our specific purpose.
The full truth we learn is that confidence in ourselves and our purpose is crucial for growing business. It allows us to serve with more intention.
Confidence better aligns your service offerings
When I started my business, I offered documentation development as a service because I had previous experience from my corporate life. Sure, I was good at it. Yet it wasn’t adding real value because that wasn’t my “zone of genius,” a term coined by Gay Hendricks in his book The Big Leap.
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Your zone is what you’re exceptional at because no one does it like you. Exceptional wasn’t the word to describe those projects I quickly cut from my service solutions.
When identifying what you like about yourself, more often than not it’s also what your clients like. In fact, it’s what they typically rave about. If they’re not raving about your other services, then you’re not creating impact for your clients.
By digging into the offerings you’re confident about, notice:
- If there’s alignment between what you think you do well and what you like doing.
- What services you hope people don’t ask for.
- Who receives the most value in working with you? How and why?
- If you could only offer one service, what would it be and why?
You’ll notice patterns about how you and only you can offer certain solutions.
Confidence allows for easier, more authentic connections
If your business is pretending to be something it’s not, people know. When you’re authentically confident in your business value – in how you add greater impact for your clients – the right opportunities and connections come into your circle.
Take a step back to gain clarity on:
- The clients you love to work with and why.
- Which clients move you towards your vision.
- What your actual “zone of genius” is for these clients.
These are the relationships that will naturally come when you’re confident you add value to them.
Confidence creates greater influence and impact
To sustainably grow your business, you must be able to influence those around you, so you can serve more, resulting in greater impact. If you’re not connecting with the right audience for your business, then you’re hindering the full impact you could have.
For confidence in growing your impact, determine:
- If your vision is still aligned with your purpose.
- If you’re speaking to the right audience in the right way.
- If you’re connecting where your influence is needed.
Homing in on how you influence allows you to more easily make decisions that have real impact for your business, your clients and the greater community.
For many, 2020 was a year of reacting to uncontrollable situations. For others, it became a time to lean in, assess who they are, (re)align with who they want to be and gain the clarity needed to respond to challenges.
A little confidence building by understanding who you truly are as a company will go a long way for businesses looking to serve in a more authentic, impactful manner.
Where has your business grown in confidence in 2020? Share your insights and questions with Lindsay. Contact [email protected]
Lindsay Harle-Kadatz supports overwhelmed leaders in creating more time, money, and relationships through the power of brand strategy. In everything, she infuses humour with process, creativity, and results. Visit her website, or follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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The views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.
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