Without this one emotion, you’ll never leave the gate.
How deep is your self-belief? When the chips are down, how do you feel about yourself and your next action? How down do you get on you? Do you seek out help to work your way through it? Or, do you dig in, preferring to handle it on your own? Do you believe in your ability to figure things out? Have you handled this before, and if so, what was the outcome? Did you come out on top? Did you cave? What did you learn?
Most people don’t believe in themselves deep enough. They have surface level belief. They’ll say to your face they believe in themselves, but if you challenge them on this or listen for other statements where there may be seeds of doubt sown in, you’ll come to realize they are not as self-assured as they seem. Important things in life require deep conviction. A belief in a business venture so deep you see it through the tough early years. A belief in your kids that with proper nurturing and care and support, they will succeed. A belief in yourself that you can attain that next level of success, whatever that looks like for you, whatever you desire for you and your family.
It is always unfortunate when you run into a leader who is insecure. They are typically hot-headed and make selfish decisions. Try to avoid these people if possible.
It is far better to have a leader who is self-assured, self-confident, humble, open-minded and fair. They also believe in the team’s ability to figure out problems and give them the space to do so. This is far closer to the ideal scenario. The leader should articulate the vision and mission, and then allow everyone else to decide how to get there.
Without positive self-belief, your ability to sell, to market, to make things happen is greatly reduced. Self-belief or basic self-esteem is instrumental to your success and your ability to persuade. It must run deep because nothing convinces people like those who exhibit deep conviction. They are ready to convince, ready to sell.
Is it possible to sell things without deep belief in what it is you sell? It is possible, yes, but it is very difficult to do. If you ask most sales pros, they’ll tell you that it isn’t possible or that they wouldn’t want to do it. After all, why sell something you don’t believe in? I mean, why would you want to? To sell something you don’t believe in is deceitful, and most people don’t want to engage with that. Besides, selling something you don’t believe in makes you do things you otherwise would not. You must have conviction.
You must believe. You must believe in yourself. You must believe in your company. You must believe in your product. These are the foundational beliefs that make any salesperson or entrepreneur successful. With these deep beliefs comes congruence. And we all seek congruence in what we believe and in what we do. It makes us feel right and true and legitimate. It is a fundamental feeling of self-belief: we must feel congruent in what we do and in what we sell. Without that belief, we are nowhere. We may as well start all over again.
What do you want? And what else?
