KATHY ARCHER
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Raise your leadership confidence by establishing these three daily habits

28/2/2018

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Note: This article first appeared on Charity Village 
Walking into a boardroom and averting your eyes as your stomach clenches is a horrible feeling. When you are worried about what you need to say and how you will say it, you begin to agonize. The doubt creeps in. Others in the room intuitively sense your inner hesitancies. This uncertainty spells disaster.
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Now paint a different picture. Imagine entering the room with poised posture. Sense within you the assurance of your abilities and certainty that you can handle what might come your way. Others may not be able to put their finger on it. However, you know they are aware of something about you. It is your confidence.
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Confidence isn’t something handed to you. It is not a skill that can be taught. Confidence comes from within.

Confidence is part wise elder and part courageous warrior. Your confidence grows as you gain wisdom and then apply that understanding to experiences, events, and relationships. Self-confidence develops when you internalize the lessons and insightfully apply your learning in the future.

Years ago, I yelled at my administrative support. We were young. I’d just received a promotion into one of my first leadership positions. This lady and I went from co-workers to me supervising her. Instead of allies, we became opponents. We spent a lot of time vying to be right. Shouting at her to show me respect did much more to tarnish my reputation then it did to nurture it.

As a result of that exchange, I reprimanded myself for being inept and unprofessional. I realized if I wanted to be the leader I desired, I needed to seek mentorship. I reached out to respected leaders for insights. In doing so, I was able to address tough conversations with increasing skill.

As a leader, I courageously stepped into no end of difficult discussions. As a result, I gained confidence. It was through my applied learning and my willingness to take risks that I become more adept and bold about doing the work that needed to be done. Boldly engaging in those situations helped me to mature and strengthened our team.

Confidence grows when you further your knowledge and expose yourself to new situations. To thrive as a leader, you will need to establish habits that cultivate learning. You must challenge yourself to move beyond what is comfortable.

Establish these three are three habits to foster increased confidence.

Tackle tasks you are avoiding.
What we are skirting around is often the thing that will advance us the most. Heck yes, it may be tough. Absolutely, you may not want to do it or maybe you don't even know how to do it. But the fact that you have been dodging it is a huge clue that it is something you might want to challenge yourself with.

To identify the task you have been avoiding requires you to take a few moments each day of reflection.
  • What has shown up on your to-do list for the last three weeks that you’ve simply been too busy to do?
  • What hasn’t even hit your to-do list that probably should have?
  • Where have you wanted to raise your hand, but kept it carefully concealed because you just weren’t sure you were the right person?
Action Plan:
  1. Pick a day each week to reflect for 5 minutes.
  2. Identify the task you’ve been avoiding. 
  3. Schedule time to do it before the week is over.
Do something outside of your comfort zone daily.
We like our beloved coffee. We have a favorite pair of shoes. We take the same route to work each day. It’s comfortable. It doesn’t require thought. Routine is important. Equally imperative in growing yourself as a leader is taking risks.

The more often you leave the security of what you know, the larger your zone of comfort becomes. You didn’t know the people you worked with when you started. Over time, you’ve learned more about them and now have a relationship with them. The first time you picked up a cell phone it was strange. Now you use it every day. Learning a new task or skill requires a place of not knowing how first. But going there is where you learn.
Action Plan:
At the end of the day make a note of where you stepped outside of your comfort zone.
​For example:
  • I volunteered my opinion in the meeting today, even though my stomach was in knots.
  • I pushed back, saying no when someone tried to give me an additional task. It was awkward because I am a people pleaser.
  • I signed up for Toastmasters today even though I’m terrified of speaking in public. 2. Give yourself a high five, a pat on the back or a big fist pump for doing that. Celebrating your efforts to develop confidence is what grows your interior affirmation rather than looking external validation that most of us constantly crave.
Spend 15 minutes a day learning something new.
We are most afraid of what we don't know. It's time to change that.
Make the unknown familiar.
​

The greatest leaders are readers. The most impactful people have within them a wealth of knowledge. The most confident people have a storehouse of experiences, stories, and knowledge.

To increase your confidence, you will need to learn. The more you learn through courses, books and videos, the more you can tackle different situations in different ways.
Action Plan:
1. Set aside 15 – 30 minutes a day as learning time.
  • Choose time at work or home in the morning or evening.
  • Schedule it. What isn’t scheduled does not get done.
2. Learn.
  • Read a blog.
  • Read a book. Listen to audio books on your commute to work.
  • Participate in a webinar. CharityVillage offers many free opportunities on their website.
  • Watch a Ted Talk – Here are the top 20 Ted Talks of all time.
  • Follow a YouTube Channel of someone you want to learn from.
  • Sign up for a free online course from a place like Coursera or edX.
Increasing your confidence requires you to gain knowledge and step outside your comfort zone. Feed the wise elder within your and cheer on the courageous warrior. Together they will develop the confidence you desire and need to become the incredible leader you were born to be.
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What you need to practice to get a better handle on your days

23/2/2018

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Practice is for kids learning to play the piano, master the play in the end zone or Olympic athletes.
Right?
Yes....AND... practice is for you too!

But what do you need to practice so you feel more capable, competent and confident?
Ah…I’ll tell you that little nugget on this week’s FB live session AND I’ll give you a way to quickly add it to your already busy day!
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LINKS from today's session
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MASTERING CONFIDENCE INTENSIVE -  8-week online program

Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADER'S group here
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Find your Guide Sheet - Apprentice to Master

Find MY BOOK - Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
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3 Lil’ Secrets to Grow Your Confidence

21/2/2018

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Most people don’t come out and say they want more confidence. They say things like:
   * Communication is a big challenge for me
   * I am struggling to address concerns/issues with staff or my boss
   * I don’t feel like I have enough experience/training to do my job
   * I feel like an imposter
   * I struggle to be taken seriously as a competent leader

All of these boil down to wanting to grow your confidence. When you watch this session, you will learn 3 Lil’ Secrets to Grow Your Confidence!

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LINKS from today's session

MASTERING CONFIDENCE INTENSIVE -  8-week online program

Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADER'S group here
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Find your GUIDE SHEET # 8 - Changing Your Mind Chatter

Find MY BOOK - Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system

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The one word NOT to use with staff when giving them feedback

21/2/2018

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There is one word you should NOT use when you are giving your staff feedback, praise or encouragement. 

You may already have an idea what it is...but what do you use instead?

You’ll learn that, when you watch this FB Live session:
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LINKS from today's session

Listen to the beginning of MASTERING CONFIDENCE here

Find your GUIDE SHEET #27 - Create your powerful vision + Chapter from Mastering Confidence

MASTERING CONFIDENCE INTENSIVE - Join the 8-week online program

Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADERS Group here
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Why you need an Audible account right now!

14/2/2018

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​You want to enjoy leadership more, find you are making a greater difference, feel happier and more satisfied in life and rid yourself of a bit of the daily turmoil you feel. Doesn’t that pretty much sum up what most leaders are looking for? Perhaps you also want a little more love, a smaller waistline, and an increase in your bank account. That’s not a bad list of desires.
 
Striving for more is a good thing. Yes, we need to be grateful for what we have, but a healthy determination to continue to grow, figure out the next challenge and navigate our way to a greater sense of peace in work and life is really the essence of aging. 
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​New insights lead to growth
Learning from our mistakes, failures, and setbacks as well as our achievements, wins and successes happen best when we gain new information that challenges our current way of thinking and behaving. The different material assists us to find fresh ways, adjust our actions or shift our mindsets to get improved results. At other times, the insights we gain affirm we are on the right path. One way to get new ideas to challenge your assumptions, perspectives, and values is to read.

But who has time to read?

Let’s boil it down to some basic truths about leadership, learning, and life.
Effective leadership truths
  • Leaders are readers
  • Leaders are learners
  • Leaders grow themselves

The realities of today’s leader’s schedules
  • You are busy
  • Your life is hectic
  • You don’t have a lot of time to read

​Sooooo try listening & learning instead!
The Audible Secret
I discovered Audible a few years ago when I was in a program that made reading the forefront. There was no way I could find the time to fit the required reading in. I downloaded the books to Audible and listened my way through them.

What I realized was that I’ve always listened to book. From the Steven Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People cassette tapes to the David Allen time management revolution Getting Things Done CD’s boxed set. I’ve been a listener for years and years. I used to borrow audio CD’s from the library to take them on business trips so I could drive and learn. Now, I still borrow some audiobooks from the library, but most often, I use Audible. I think you should too!
 
Let me tell you why you need an Audible account and how easy it is to use.
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The Audible Story 
Here is what you need to know about Audible:
  • ​Audible is an Amazon company that provides the audio version of books.
    • I recorded myself reading my book Mastering Confidence and published it on Audible. If you want a sneak peek of the first bit of the audio version of my book listen here.
  • ​Audible is a monthly subscription service ($14.99/month) that allows you to listen to audiobooks at a highly discounted cost. Consider what any book would cost you to buy in the hardcopy version, most likely more than $15.
  • Each month you are given one credit, which you can use to buy any item in their catalogue regardless of their respective cost, rating, or length.
  • The membership fee is $14.99 Canadian each month.
  • You can end your Audible subscription at any time.
  • Your first book is free.

But how does Audible really work? 
  • Audible allows you to listen to books on your computer. However, most people download the Audible app onto their phone or tablets.  When you purchase a book, you download it to your device to listen to.
  • You can have your books on multiple devices, and the app remembers where you were on the alternate device and brings you right there to keep listening.
  • Books stay in your account as long as you are an Audible member. You can listen to them as many times as you wish.
  • You can do fancy stuff like make a bookmark, write a note or share sections with friends.

You may be wondering, if I can’t find time to read, how would I find time to listen to books. That my dear is easy! You just play it while you…..
10 times in your day when you can listen to an audiobook
  1.  In the shower
  2. While you are doing your hair / makeup
  3. While you are eating breakfast (You do eat breakfast right???)
  4. On your commute to work
  5. At lunchtime (you do take a lunch break rights????)
  6. When you are driving to a meeting, alternate site, even potentially with colleagues or clients. They can learn too!
  7. While you are preparing supper
  8. When you are folding laundry
  9. While you are waiting for the kids at school, dance, hockey or the dentist
  10. With a journal or notebook in front of you, at your kitchen table in the evening instead of watching Netflix or scrolling through Facebook.
Need some ideas of what books to download? Grab this guide that I made for you with my 20 favourite leadership books to listen to.
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There you have it. Grab your Audible membership today. Begin listening to leadership books to grow and develop yourself, a financial book to help you increase your bank account, healthy living authors who will share their wisdom about weight loss and of course, one particular leadership coach who gives you a system to Master your Confidence. That way, you will move from surviving to thriving in both your leadership and your life!
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Discover when you should lead and when you should manage

2/2/2018

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Regardless of our title: supervisor, leader, boss, director, manager, team lead...there are times when you should be managing your employees and team...and times when you should be leading them. But how do you know the difference and when to do which?
Find out on this FB live session!
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LINKS from today's session

Join me in THE TRAINING ROOM
Find your GUIDE SHEET - Leadership Training Needs:

Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADER'S Group here
Find MY BOOK -  Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
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Love your days more when you do this...

2/2/2018

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Most women have a love-hate relationship with their jobs. Sadly at the end of your days, you may feel more of the frustration than the passion. If you want to turn that around, watch this Facebook Live session to learn to "Love your days MORE!"
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LINKS from this session

Although DESIGN YOUR IDEAL DAY is finished, head on over to THE TRAINING ROOM and discover new sessions that my be just what you need today!

Find the right GUIDE SHEET for you
​
Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADER'S Group here

Find MY BOOK - Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
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    Kathy Archer

    Women leaders often hit a point where they find themselves in over their heads and wondering if they have what it takes to lead.
    ​
    ​In my online courses and coaching I teach them inner and outer tools to restore their lost confidence so they can move from surviving to thriving in both leadership and life.

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