Inspiring Others While Learning to Believe in Yourself
Leadership begins with calm roots. Here, we explore how grounded intention shapes purposeful growth. These reflections and tools nurture the confidence to lead with steadiness, clarity, and a sense of inner balance, so your leadership feels both inspired and sustainable.
“Sometimes we lift others higher because we know what it feels like not to be lifted at all.”
Empowering Others Through Self-Reflection
Reflective Note: As you read, consider how your own confidence, or lack of it, has shaped the way you lead and uplift others around you.
Confidence was not something I was taught growing up. Encouragement, emotional support, and affirmations of self-worth were not part of my early environment. My self-esteem developed through challenging experiences and assumptions about myself rather than guidance or positive reinforcement.
Because of this, I interpreted constructive criticism as judgment or as a sign of personal failure. Instead of seeing feedback as an opportunity to grow, I felt like I was being told I wasn’t enough. And that perception of inadequacy influenced how I showed up as a young adult.
But it also shaped how I chose to lead.
I never wanted others to feel the way I had felt defeated or unseen. So even while I was still learning to believe in myself, I consistently motivated and encouraged others. I became the voice of belief I needed when I was younger.
Leadership taught me this powerful truth:
People often give what they need most.
Supporting others helped me grow. Guiding others strengthened my purpose. When you genuinely believe something is possible, you become more capable of achieving it. Empowering others has not just been something I do; it has been part of who I am becoming.
Leadership Insight (with citations)
Research shows that leaders who provide affirmation and developmental support foster both individual and team growth. For instance, higher leadership self-efficacy predicts stronger leadership behaviours, such as inspiration and motivation. PMC+1
Similarly, self-esteem has been found to influence leadership orientation and effectiveness significantly. ERIC+2PubMed+2 When leaders empower others, they not only build capacity in those around them but also strengthen their own confidence and purpose. PMC+1
Reflection for Readers
• How has your personal experience with confidence shaped the way you lead or support others?
• Do you invest more belief in others than you offer yourself?
• What would change if you encouraged yourself the way you encourage your team?
Key Takeaway
Supporting others while building your own confidence is not a contradiction; it is leadership in motion.
Organizational Bridge to SILWELL-C
Everyone brings a story to the workplace, some rooted in self-assurance and others in uncertainty. Effective leadership acknowledges these differences and creates environments where confidence can grow. SILWELL-C supports organizations in shifting toward people-first cultures where encouragement is intentional, support is ongoing, and belief in staff potential is a leadership expectation.
Organizational Reflection
• How does your organization equip leaders to inspire confidence in others?
• What systems intentionally strengthen belief, growth, and professional empowerment?
• How might leaders model self-development while supporting staff success?
Where story meets science, strength grows through understanding.
Bergman, D., Gustafsson-Sendén, M., & Berntson, E. (2022). From Believing to Doing: The Association Between Leadership Self-Efficacy and the Developmental Leadership Model. PMC. PMC
Gunel, I. (2021). The Effect of Self-Esteem on Leadership Orientation. ERIC. ERIC
Mercadante, E. J. (2023). Leadership in the Eye of the Beholder: Follower Self-Esteem and Leadership Perception. Wiley. PubMed
Ishfaq, F. & Ali, M. (2023). The Influence of Empowering Leadership on Work Engagement: Mediating Role of Motivation and Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy. Research Journal for Societal Issues. ResearchGate
“The Relationship Between Empowering Leadership, Self-Efficacy and Organizational Resilience.” IOJES, 2021. EdSci Journal
