Even the most outgoing and gregarious entrepreneur may struggle with self-doubt at times. Entrepreneurship requires energy and drive, and hurdles can drain even the most successful and empowered individuals. An entrepreneur will appreciate caring thoughts and your support in getting back on track. Personalize these 10 ideas, and help rebuild entrepreneurial confidence and self-esteem. Your support will get them focused on a plan and continuing on with positivity and purpose.
High self-confidence and self-esteem are typical in entrepreneurs who demonstrate the habits of successful business owners. Success along your journey as an entrepreneur and the ability to grow your business help give you confidence.
However maintaining high energy and clearing continual hurdles in an entrepreneur’s personal and work life can take a toll and some may be especially difficult to manage. Think about your own journey in life and what helps you stay motivated. What gives you confidence and motivates you to follow through? You know it’s not always easy.
Here’s how you can help entrepreneurs regain and cultivate their strengths of high self-esteem and self-confidence.
Actions you can take to help an entrepreneur build confidence and self-esteem.
“Everything you every wanted is learning how to draw it out of yourself because you are that powerful.” ~ Lumalia
1.) Make sure they have a business plan and spend 15 minutes each morning planning their day.
If they don’t have a business plan, give them ours. It’s the simplest one-page plan. It’s a starting place.
A daily plan keeps a confident person time-blocked and focused on today’s most important priorities.
A primary way to build confidence as an entrepreneur and overcome self-doubt is to know where you’re going.
This minimal planning time leads to:
- Daily achievement
- Focus on your strengths and long-term business goals
- Less wasted time and time created for breaks and health
- Boundaries on friends, family, and social media
- Learning and retention
- Recognition of accomplishments
- Creativity
- Less stress
- Confidence as a business owner
Successful entrepreneurs plan.
2.) Challenge their negative thinking.
We call it the QBQ – the question behind the question. Help them talk it out and get to the root cause of the issue, so they can create an actionable plan to get through the issue by either resolving it or managing seeing a positive side.
If they can see a positive side to everything – even if it means they learned something new about a skill, a situation, or person, they can move forward instead of paralyzing themselves.
Help them relabel a negative situation as a specific opportunity and apply a solution.
Negative thoughts hinder your ability to move forward. They can overtake and distort what actually was a positive experience.
- Help them see how negative thoughts hold you back from pursuing your dreams.
- Help them use them to refine their mission and vision.
- Help them use negative thoughts to break larger goals into smaller clear and attainable objectives.
- Help them turn “I can’t” into an opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge base.
- Who do you know? Connect with other local business owners and build their network.
Negative self-talk leads to undervaluing yourself.
3.) Tell them to assume positive intent.
Instead of showing them a quote or saying “why don’t you try,” literally tell them to do this.
Maybe they are overreacting. Maybe they aren’t. Regardless, entrepreneurial success depends upon positive energy.
The point here is that the actions of the person who was rude or short with them may not have been intended.
This isn’t a debate over right and wrong, but we don’t know the other person’s “why” and we don’t need to.
We just need to let the negative feelings go sooner.
The power of positive thinking is real. Entrepreneurs must maintain a positive mindset.
Help them let go sooner, and confidence will grow.
4.) Eliminate all-or-nothing thinking.
No: should, have to, or must
- This way of thinking doesn’t allow for flexibility.
- Your entrepreneur will have a difficult time overcoming self-doubt and building confidence and self-esteem.
- Words like failure and undeserving can get in the way and stop progress.
One of the best ways to maintain self-belief and avoid a setback is to help entrepreneurs avoid these words.
Remind them confidence as an entrepreneur looks like this!
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” ~ Christian D. Larson
5.) Recognize their achievements.
When you start your own business you have confidence in your abilities, and you work hard. An entrepreneur now running a business can find it isolating at times and hurdles allow a fear of failure to creep in.
When they are experiencing self-doubt, provide support by cultivating a mindset of self-recognition.
- Every step
- Every milestone
- Every hurdle crossed & their willingness to learn
- Fulfilled their expectations and crossed off the to-do list
- When they ate an apple instead of fast food.
- Ask how they got there. How did you refine your approach?
Though we know low self-esteem and self-doubt holds you back, entrepreneurs who can provide a list of achievements like this will take a big steps forward and leave a lack confidence behind.
6.) Give them a tool to help separate feelings from facts.
It’s easy to say don’t overreact or don’t let your feelings get in the way but that alone isn’t always enough.
Take it a step further and help them recognize how far they have come and their achievements.
Get them talking and sharing facts.
ASK:
- Ask them to share their experiences and wisdom.
- How they focus on developing a successful product launch using strengths and past experience.
- How they learn and grow and how that helps focus their eyes on the next objective.
- How they analyze setbacks objectively.
- What’s your greatest opportunity for growth and learning?
- What did you learn from your mistakes as part of your entrepreneurial journey?
- What are the best ways to build confidence in others?
- What helps you build your confidence?
7.) Suggest a healthy addition to their day.
Talk with them about their health and healthy habits.
Tell them straight out – we can update your choices and boost your confidence!
If they refuse to focus on themselves, help them understand the long-term benefits to their business.
- Where can they carve in time exercise?
- How can they fit in some fresh air?
- Whole unprocessed foods need to be on their menu.
- Eliminate 24/7 access to them.
- Does late evening bright screen time affect their ability to unwind before bed?
- Do they keep a notepad and pen by the bed. They can write in the dark. (I do it all the time.)
None of this takes a lot of time. They just need to incorporate the thinking.
No matter how small they may think it is, these positive changes compound and make a big difference.
8.) List things they enjoy.
Start by making a list of things you like to do. Share how you try to do something from that list every day.
Take a shot at creating a list of what they like to do. At times when things are bad it may be easy to convince them to do something fun.
- Spend time with people who make you happy.
- Try to do some physical activity.
- Spend time outside.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Look in the mirror and say a morning mantra.
- Enjoy a drink or dessert but avoid recreational drugs and over-indulging.
Entrepreneurial spirit is built and rebuilt when you surround yourself with supportive people.
“The strength of a person is amplified when you surround yourself by supportive people.” ~ Unknown
9.) List and share what you admire about them.
Encourage them with a list of what’s obvious to others.
- They stand up for themselves.
- They know they’ve got something with this idea.
- They used their mentorship to inspire part of the entrepreneurial journey.
- They have a need to succeed.
- They had the courage to start.
- They hire people who deserve a shot.
- They stepped outside of their comfort zone.
- They took time out to help you stay focused and helped you build confidence.
Your confidence may inspire them to feel more confident.
10.) Tell them you love them and why.
A person struggling to maintain self-confidence and with low self-esteem may find it difficult to love themselves. They will appreciate hearing it from you.
Love can take many forms. If you can’t speak it or it’s not appropriate, you can show humanity in other ways. Supportive people who believe in others help erase self-doubt along the way.
- Encourage self-care.
- Be caring but firm.
- Share positive things with them.
- Help me understand offers a great place to dive in.
Your feedback is private, but the results will be very public. Your entrepreneur will bounce back, and soon share their experiences and wisdom gained through the suggestions you shared.
A lack of confidence and/or self-esteem is deflating. But – Human nature is so inspiring. Don’t be surprised how willing people are to share their own journey and encourage others. Continue being that person. You got this.
0 Comments