Katty Kay: confidence is the skill that turns thoughts into action—and companies need to start teaching it

1. Confidence isn’t charisma. It’s a business skill, and companies need to start teaching it

“Confidence is the stuff that turns thoughts into action.”

In all my years researching this subject, that is still the smartest and most useful definition I’ve heard. It came from Dr. Richard Petty, a professor of psychology at Ohio State University, who described confidence as the quality that pushes us to confront our fears, take on new challenges and move from idea to execution.

And that matters, because thoughts without action do not get us very far.

The other powerful thing about confidence is that it is circular. We build it by doing. When we step outside our comfort zone, take a risk, make a mistake, overcome a hurdle and keep going, we become more confident. Confidence is not a vibe, a manner or a personality trait. It is a tangible skill that can be earned, practised and learned.

The mistake many workplaces make is rewarding the people who already appear confident, rather than helping more people develop confidence in the first place.

2. The confidence gap isn’t a women’s issue. It’s a business failure

We are living through a moment in which women are not........

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