How to Exude Confidence

Confidence is crucial professionally. When you are confident in yourself and your abilities, you gain courage to take risks and accomplish great things. However, it is not always easy to be confident so sometimes you need to fake it. When you are not always feeling confident, there are some things you can do to give the appearance of confidence. A recent article by First Republic highlighted some of these:

1. Speak the right body language.Bad posture, fidgeting, and crossed arms can show that you lack confidence. Instead, replace those with “high power poses”. Practice movements that are more open, spread out, and take up more room. These types of actions exude power. For example, the “Wonder Woman” pose is a class power pose in which the elbows are jutting out, the feet are spread out, and the individual takes up more space. Shoulders are also indicators of self-confidence. When someone raises their shoulders, similar to a shrug, they demonstrate that they are uncertain and lack confidence. 
2. Master eye contact.Little eye contact can be indicative of lack of confidence. However, too much eye contact can demonstrate that you are trying too hard or being aggressive. Therefore, finding the right amount—the sweet spot—is ideal. In general, maintaining eye contact about 60 percent of the time is good. 
3. Learn the components of charisma.Confident individuals tend to have the most charisma. Charisma refers to how you treat and interact with those around you. Those who are charismatic are engaged. They are present when in the moment with others. They exude warmth. They appear powerful by coming across as someone who can impact the world around them. One way to increase charisma is the two-second rule. This entails waiting two seconds before it is your turn to talk. It demonstrates you are listening to and processing what someone else is saying. It also shows you are in charge of the flow of the conversation which exudes power and confidence. Asking questions is also a great way to exude warmth and be present in the interaction with another person. It will also show power by allowing you to control the conversation. Charismatic people also tend to keep the conversation going while avoiding awkward silences.
4. Sound like you know what you are talking about.There are some easy ways to demonstrate this. You should avoid blank works such as “um” and “like”. Also, it is important to take a moment and think about your response rather than simply jumping on the opportunity to speak. Also, speaking slowly and calmly shows that you know what you are talking about. It is also crucial to emphasize what you know. If you do not know something, rather than lie, be honest but finish your response with what you do know instead.