You step on stage. The lights are so impossibly bright you can barely see the audience. But you can certainly hear them. The roar of the crowd is deafening. They came here to see you. For the next hour or so, they expect you to entertain them, delight them, and help them escape from their everyday. You adjust the mic, check in with your band, and take a deep breath. It’s time to turn up the excitement and give this audience the show they’ve been dreaming of.

Thankfully, business rockstars aren’t expected to fill up a stadium. However, being a rockstar leader in your business does require a similar level of self-belief and self-confidence.

If you’ve just stepped into your leadership role or have been there for years but struggle with believing in yourself, you’re in luck. We can actually learn quite a bit about confidence from rockstars… without stepping one foot on stage.

“Self-belief is not about having irrational confidence or delusions of grandeur. It’s persevering in spite of the fact that self-doubt hangs on your shoulder,” – Doc Coyle of the Bad Wolves.

How to Build Your Confidence as a Rock Star Leader

Listen to Others

Listening to others is two-fold. First off, be open to feedback. Think of feedback as your own private consultant. Your guidance counselor. Feedback if your friend and your way to get immediate results or know what action to take. You will not be perfect right off the bat, and thinking you are will be detrimental to your future as a leader. Look to people you trust for constructive criticism. If they have your best interests at heart and have been successful in their own careers, seriously consider their advice. You don’t always have to take it; however, they could make your journey a lot easier.

The second aspect of listening to others is to accept that you truly don’t know everything… and that’s okay. Every good leader has a board of directors or consultants (whether official or informal) that they rely on for guidance. You don’t have to know or be good at everything, you just have to be comfortable asking for help and listening to others.

Surround Yourself with Fans (And Become One)

The fact is, others often see things in us that we find it nearly impossible to see. You may not think you are a good leader, but your boss thinks otherwise. You may not feel like you can achieve anything you set your mind to, but your significant other, your friends, your family, or your professional colleagues may. Surround yourself with people who cheer you on and celebrate your wins. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to become better while still raving about the person you are right now. This will help raise your low HDL. (Highly Deserve Level)

The best part? Doing this for others will actually help you, too. Celebrate those around you and realize that when you lift others up, you get lifted too!

Be Yourself

It can be really tempting to try to fit in. Being yourself can be uncomfortable and sometimes downright frightening. Others may judge you. People may say that you are “too loud,” “too quiet,” “too easygoing,” “too strict,” “too outside the box,” or “too by the books.” It’s difficult to accept, but it’s also freeing. Why? Because you will always be “too much” for someone. Rather than concern yourself with what others think, focus on you. Find whatever it is that makes you “you,” and take pride in it. An authentic leader is a successful leader. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s where you grow.

“Don’t you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can’t be exactly who you are.” – Lady Gaga

You don’t have to sing in front of thousands of people to have the confidence of a rockstar. Listen to others, surround yourself with fans, and be you. Your self-belief will skyrocket, and you’ll become the rockstar leader you’ve always wanted to be. For more tips on leadership, visit https://www.ITurnItUp.com/