Welcome to my first blog post. I am going to use this space to share personal career insights. I’ll keep it raw and share what I’ve learned in the workplace.
Confidence in the workplace no matter what level you are in is crucial. From VP to intern. It’s not a skill you are taught, it’s not a course you can take. It is a trait that is developed over time, and one to be mindful of if it’s an area where you want to improve. Confidence sets you apart. It can come across in different ways, from speaking up, sharing an idea, pushing back or delegating/telling someone what to do. Having confidence in your ideas and how you deliver them are important. The antithesis of this is second-guessing yourself or deferring to someone else.
People can display confidence differently. Sometimes confidence is misconstrued and associated with being difficult or insensitive or micro-managing, which is the opposite end of the spectrum and not what I am talking about. You can be confident and nice, so long as it is tactfully done.
Being bossy is derived from confidence. Being confident in the delivery of your ideas and judgment. It is a necessary skill to have with competing deadlines, projects, emails and meetings. Especially now, working virtually and live-editing or disseminating a document, you need to get your suggestions out.
A manager once told me, “I want bossy, Sandra.” That was the most valuable piece of feedback I’d ever received. It took me a while to learn this in my career and I’m so thankful this manager opened my eyes. At the end of the day, you are working toward something that requires some level of bossiness and you have to own it and not feel bad about it.
It’s okay to be bossy.
Let me know if you have any thoughts on this topic or would like to share your own personal experience around this.
