There are many different terms describing as aspect of how you view yourself: self-esteem, self-concept, and self-confidence are all used interchangeably. They each, however, mean different things. Knowing what each term means helps you know which areas you may need to work on improving.
Let’s talk about self-esteem. To be a leader who leads from within, you must have a healthy self-esteem. If you don’t, don’t worry. It can be improved!
You could be self-confident in one area but still have low self-esteem. For instance, perhaps you trust your abilities at home but not so much at work. Because you don’t value yourself intrinsically overall, your self-esteem is still low. Similarly, your self-esteem could be high, but you lack confidence in your ability to publicly speak or lead a team through a project. The benefit of high self-esteem, however, is that you’ll be willing to seek out the help to gain confidence in a new area without shame.
There are other terms such as self-compassion, self-efficacy, and self-image. They’re all related but still different. What’s important to fully understand is that self-esteem is the big picture. It’s how you think about yourself.
Factors that influence self-esteem include your health, personality, age, genetics, social circumstances, and life experiences. Your level of self-esteem is not set in stone. Research shows us that we can change our self-esteem. If you feel your self-esteem is low at work, there are ways to help raise it.
The transformational leader has to be aware, willing to grow, and able to nourish their internal respect. It’s why being self-aware is so vital. As I’m always saying, we cannot fix something if we don’t know it needs fixing. We can work on ways to improve your self-esteem once we’re aware it needs improvement. Only once a leader masters themselves can they be confident enough to lead others in an authentic manner.
Nearly every organization faces difficult times at some point — recently more than ever thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to lead your team through the tough times, you need to be okay with making and acknowledging your mistakes, asking others for their input, and staying true to you values in the face of opposition. These activities are no small tasks.
Leaders with high self-esteem have loving and respectful relationships. They’re continually looking to make a difference in the lives of others. Cultivating your own self-esteem can be a great example to your team members who will begin to look up to you. After all, the best way to change behavior is to model it for others.
As we continue the discussion into turning your self-doubt into true, authentic confidence, we’ll continue to talk about self-esteem. I also talk at length about it in my book Confident Wizard. Self-esteem is the basis of confidence.
Let’s talk about self-esteem. To be a leader who leads from within, you must have a healthy self-esteem. If you don’t, don’t worry. It can be improved!
Defining Self-Esteem.
In short, self-esteem is the way you think about yourself. When your overall sense of worth or value is high, you appreciate, approve of, and genuinely like yourself. When your self-esteem is low, on the other hand, you don’t feel you’re worthy of value. You wonder if you really deserve the good things that happen in your life.Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence
Self-esteem is different from self-confidence, which is the belief you have in your skills and abilities. Clearly, the two are connected. When you’re confident in yourself, you trust your judgment and abilities to solve problems, work through issues, and generally engage well in with world.You could be self-confident in one area but still have low self-esteem. For instance, perhaps you trust your abilities at home but not so much at work. Because you don’t value yourself intrinsically overall, your self-esteem is still low. Similarly, your self-esteem could be high, but you lack confidence in your ability to publicly speak or lead a team through a project. The benefit of high self-esteem, however, is that you’ll be willing to seek out the help to gain confidence in a new area without shame.
Self-Esteem vs. Self-Concept
Self-concept is how you perceive yourself. When you answer, “Who am I?” you’re stating your tendencies, thoughts, interests, and habits. Part of being truly aware of yourself is knowing your self-esteem level.There are other terms such as self-compassion, self-efficacy, and self-image. They’re all related but still different. What’s important to fully understand is that self-esteem is the big picture. It’s how you think about yourself.
Can You Improve Self-Esteem?
Yes!Factors that influence self-esteem include your health, personality, age, genetics, social circumstances, and life experiences. Your level of self-esteem is not set in stone. Research shows us that we can change our self-esteem. If you feel your self-esteem is low at work, there are ways to help raise it.
Self-Esteem and Transformative Leadership
Because we are leadership coaches, improving self-esteem is one of our most foundational endeavors. Before you can make decisions confidently, you must first be aware of the value you hold for yourself. While external experiences can certainly affect self-esteem, they’re usually fleeting. True, authentic esteem comes from within.The transformational leader has to be aware, willing to grow, and able to nourish their internal respect. It’s why being self-aware is so vital. As I’m always saying, we cannot fix something if we don’t know it needs fixing. We can work on ways to improve your self-esteem once we’re aware it needs improvement. Only once a leader masters themselves can they be confident enough to lead others in an authentic manner.
Nearly every organization faces difficult times at some point — recently more than ever thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to lead your team through the tough times, you need to be okay with making and acknowledging your mistakes, asking others for their input, and staying true to you values in the face of opposition. These activities are no small tasks.
Leaders with high self-esteem have loving and respectful relationships. They’re continually looking to make a difference in the lives of others. Cultivating your own self-esteem can be a great example to your team members who will begin to look up to you. After all, the best way to change behavior is to model it for others.
As we continue the discussion into turning your self-doubt into true, authentic confidence, we’ll continue to talk about self-esteem. I also talk at length about it in my book Confident Wizard. Self-esteem is the basis of confidence.
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