ARTICLES

Strengths are the fuel that makes work feel energising rather than draining. When you take your strengths from good to great, and then from great to extraordinary, you not only stand out in your career, you also feel more confident, motivated and fulfilled.

Career journeys are rarely a neat and tidy story, moving along a single onward line. If your plan is too fixed, there is no space for seizing opportunities as they appear, and trying new things to see where they take you.

A lack of confidence can be a very real barrier to career success and being fulfilled at work. It might stop you from putting yourself forward for opportunities, voicing your ideas or pulling back when faced with a new or challenging situation. It can also hinder how well you ‘sell’ yourself in interviews. For those who lack confidence and experience low self-esteem, there are things you can do to help you feel more confident. Here are the five steps I recommend.

You aren’t stupid or lacking because you can’t get unstuck in your career. Resistance is real. That’s why coaching helps. It lends another perspective, helps you recognise what is holding you back and what the scary really is - and how to tackle it. If you feel stuck, why not try tackling the problem with someone who knows how to help you, someone who can reach out the hand that will help you scramble up and over the barrier and stop you bashing your face against it.

Are you overlooking or downplaying the skills, strengths, knowledge and experience that make you good at your job? Do you take for granted that people know what you are good at? If you’re struggling to understand what you’re good at or find it hard to articulate your strengths, then a session of Career Therapy will help you.

Working isn’t just ‘doing’. Working is allowing your brain to process information and generate fresh thinking.

Over-apologising, saying sorry excessively, can be damaging, undermining a woman’s confidence, authority and credibility.

Taking time to time is vital to work (and live) well-being. It allows us to generate fresh ideas and use our time strategically.

Confidence isn’t fixed — it’s flexible and shaped by context, experience, and mindset. If it can be lost, it can be rebuilt. Confidence grows through action, self-awareness, and reframing fear. It’s not who you are, it’s how you choose to show up. And it’s always reclaimable.

Our confidence understandably grows when we perceive we have control over what is happening. Conversely, that confidence shrinks when we feel like things are happening beyond our control and, even worse, get ‘out of control’. We feel more confident when we are in control because we know what we are doing and what is expected. We know we have the knowledge/skills/resources required by the situation.

Personal branding is essential for career growth, but many struggle to express their value and keep their CV and LinkedIn profiles current. But doing so is key to career success.

You don't have to be an expert. You can be a highly successful generalist. And it's perfectly normal to be interested in - and good at - lots of different things.

Why questions create space to explore our motivation, assumptions, reasons and purpose - and challenge accepted thinking.

There is a powerful correlation between mindfulness and building confidence, especially so in an ever-busier world where change is hitting us with terminal velocity and being heard is increasingly difficult. Slowing down and being more aware of your brain and emotions boosts your confidence.

Whilst we can be our own greatest critic, we can also be our greatest fan. Focusing on your strengths and recounting your successes boosts confidence and a stronger sense of self.

When you’re trying to be involved in everything, working excessively to try and clear that (unending) to-do list or be all things to all people, you will inevitably miss something. It can be hard to let go. But if you don't focus, you are diluting your impact, attention and energy.

Stress is a fact of life and being stressed, feeling stressed, is a choice. How we react, how we manage our mental health and how we choose our perspective are our choice - even if we feel like we have no control.

We are programmed to think the grass is greener elsewhere, but is it? The grass grows greenest where you water it, so before you look with envy at what others have, look at what is already in your grasp.

Speaking up is a critical career tool. It's no good having ideas and opinions if you can't articulate and share them. Use these practical tools to help you learn how to speak up.

The ‘Tell me about yourself’ question really can make or break your connection with an interviewer or contact, so make sure you are prepared. Use these three steps.