As a hypnotherapist I specialise in helping people to develop confidence and self esteem.
Perhaps surprisingly, the people who ask for my help are not shrinking violets and their reasons for wanting to develop enhanced self confidence are not wholly selfish. Consider a few examples. The names have been changed.
John works for a large corporate. Diligent, startlingly intelligent and very ambitious, he found that his ideas were consistently overlooked. This wasn't enough of a catalyst to bring him to my door, however. He eventually grew frustrated, and then angry, that dominant individuals in his company were able to put their own ideas forward with ease. Worst of all, some of these ideas, he felt, were positively damaging, but he just couldn't make his opposition count. All his intelligence counted for little in his testosterone-fuelled working environment. It had reached the point where he felt that he should resign and start again with a fresh company; he simply didn't feel that he was adding any real value. A man of great integrity, John would rather leave than tacitly support such a wrong-headed and unintelligent approach to business.
John stayed. We worked together to identify his confidence profile, which was very unusual -- represented by less than 1% of the population. Through work on his stage presence and physical presence, we were able to significantly improve John's effectiveness in being taken seriously, to the extent where he has recently broken through into senior management.
Jenny came to me because she was lonely. A brief marriage hadn't worked out, and she was finding serial dating to be a frustrating activity. Jenny had come to realise that she wasn't moving out of her 'comfort zone', either socially or at work. She feared becoming enclosed, locked into a safe routine which wouldn't threaten her, but wouldn't take her life forward either.
Jenny's confidence profile was almost the inverse of John's. Where he had masses of peer independence, Jenny had almost none, which meant that she was hugely dependent on the good opinion of others. She needed lots of reassurance, and had very little faith in her own ability or judgement.
The approach with Jenny was to strengthen her peer independence -- her ability to trust in her own judgement, independent of the views of others ?- and to build up her self esteem. She has now met somebody, changed her job and moved house -- all in the space of a year!
What these case studies illustrate is the complex nature of self confidence. It isn't like height or weight; you can't read off a single value which describes a person. Confidence is complex and to develop, we need to understand our confidence profile. I have subsequently made my confidence profile questionnaire available through the Confidence Club website http://www.confidenceclub.net
This has enabled me to build up an even larger database of confidence profiles, and allows people from all over the world to identify their particular areas for improvement.
Jim Sullivan is a hypnotherapist specialising in confidence and self esteem development. He works with individual clients, with companies looking to de-stress their staff and through his Confidence Club website. http://www.confidenceclub.net
Have you noticed that across the business world people are... Read More
It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a... Read More
Leadership is motivational or it's stumbling in the dark. After... Read More
Leaders need to:1. Have a vision to which they are... Read More
Anne was a new supervisor, and like many new supervisors... Read More
How does one go about getting deep results? There are... Read More
Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you... Read More
DESCRIPTION CMOE's Leadership Skill Training addresses a wide range of... Read More
A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George... Read More
The United Nations Conference on Law of the Sea was... Read More
Years ago, when I was new in management circles, a... Read More
The single most important thing a leader can do is... Read More
Here's a really simple way to measure the strength of... Read More
Some think that everything is black and white. I'm beginning... Read More
Identity CrisisIt's not only the knowledge you carry around in... Read More
It's been said many times that true leadership is measured... Read More
In today's fast moving, ever changing, and highly competitive world... Read More
Last week, as I was standing in the checkout line... Read More
Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to... Read More
I just delivered a free speech. I am a great... Read More
In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More
"Before you become a leader success is all about growing... Read More
We need to engage our listeners and transform them into... Read More
Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.Approach... Read More
During the Second World War, Winston Churchill had a framed... Read More
It has been stated that the world of tomorrow will... Read More
A Leader is not a certain type of person or... Read More
A good strong example of a family leader would be... Read More
Connect and Engage! Your People Are Your Power.It's been said... Read More
In Part 1, I said that leaders who can't have... Read More
I have been looking for answers to what it takes... Read More
If you want to be a leader who attracts quality... Read More
After studying scores of great thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci,... Read More
In Part One, I described the importance of establishing deep,... Read More
What is more important, leadership or teamwork? Leadership or consensus... Read More
"Leaders are born, not made." Right? Let me ask you... Read More
"Do what you do so well that they will want... Read More
You're a bright, successful business executive making good money and... Read More
"Who rules or guides or inspires others"Having excellent guide skills... Read More
Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most remarkable men in... Read More
Decades ago, as a rifle platoon commander in the Marines,... Read More
It's interesting to hear the responses from executives when I... Read More
Here's a really simple way to think about the ins... Read More
As a business owner, you are a leader whether you... Read More
It's been said many times that true leadership is measured... Read More
So you want to be a leader? Or you want... Read More
SEE INTO THE FUTURE CREATIVELY AND PRACTICALITY: Planning day-to-day is... Read More
SET CLEAR AND REASONABLE OBJECTIVES FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS: Plan?... Read More
The date was Saturday, April 11, 1970, the time 13:13... Read More
It was a time of turmoil. In November 1979, supporters... Read More
"Of every noble work the silent part is best, Of... Read More
Smart leaders understand that they don't "make" a change happen.... Read More
"Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of... Read More
There can be no doubt that the ancient author of... Read More
Here's a really simple way to measure the strength of... Read More
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our... Read More
Any man would be justly proud to claim even a... Read More
On airplanes, in restaurants, in the newspaper and on television,... Read More
Many potential leaders in business sabotage themselves and their organizations... Read More
I was invited to do a Leadership workshop at a... Read More
The ancient Greeks had a saying: "When Aschines speaks, the... Read More
How do you get your people on your side? And... Read More
Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who... Read More
LISTEN, WRITE, AND ARTICULATE EFFECTIVELY: Leadership positions require effective communication... Read More
Though out your career you may be asked to become... Read More
Everyone knows that great leaders are made, not born. However... Read More
Leadership |