The Five “C’s” of Confident Leaders – Part 2

As I posted yesterday, for the next few days I am going to post about the “Five C’s of Confident Leaders.”  What does it mean to be a confident leader?  When I think of confident leaders, I think of someone who is free of self doubt.  However – we know we all have a nagging nay-sayer in our minds who causes us to stop and take stock of our abilities.   A confident leader may hear that voice, but pushes through the fear, knowing they can rely on their training, team and resources to manage the situation.  They do not allow their inner-critic (their Gremlin) to manage their lives.   That, my friends, requires Control.

Control

Control can often be a negative connotation when used in conjunction with “leadership” – when we think of someone in control, we often think of someone who is bossy or manipulative.  But being in control is actually an admirable quality of a confident leader.  Being in control, and taking control does not mean you are being selfish or manipulative.  It means you are creating a safe environment for you, and your team.

Control means you know how to establish boundaries.  Confident leaders who are in control are able to skillfully lay out the ground rules and their expectations to their team.  Control might take the shape of establishing “work hours” if you work from home – you tell your family your office hours are 9-5, and no, I can not take you to a friends house at 2pm.  You are in control of your schedule, and you are confident that you run your day, instead of your day running you.

Control can also be taking charge when necessary.  “Taking control of a situation” may be stepping up and giving direction, letting each person know what they are responsible for, and checking back with them to insure they understood the tasks at hand.  You are confident in your team, and confident that the task at hand will be completed.  When you take control, your team and customers feel safe and cared for – they know they are in good hands.  A team who feels safe is easier to lead and is more responsive to instruction.

Where in your life do you need to lay out some boundaries to control your life?
What guidelines do you need to establish to make your team feel safe?Where do you need to take more control as a leader?