“Confidence is feeling safe to be yourself.”
– Jason Harris, The Soulful Art of Persuasion
Confidence is “a belief in oneself”. Confidence is an attitude that motivates action and commands presence. It is the conviction that you possess what it takes to succeed.
Confidence is what allows you to get knocked down in life – and get right back up again.”
– Mehdi Hasan, Win Every Argument
Being capable of achieving your goals is one thing; however, confidence is what allows you to transform that ability into action. It’s the force that turns potential into success.
Confidence is rooted in passion. When people sense your lack of confidence, they will be less likely to believe in your ideas or take your words seriously. This post is all about how to present your best self.
Make Eye Contact
Make eye contact to exhibit confidence. Whether or not you feel confident, making eye contact is one of the quickest and simplest ways of exhibiting confidence.

Confident people make eye contact not only when they’re speaking but when they’re listening, too. To show that I am focused and paying attention, I always try and lean forward and look a person in the eye when I am listening to them talk.
So, whether or not you feel confident, making eye contact is one of the quickest and simplest ways of exhibiting confidence (Mehdi Hasan, Win Every Argument.)
Project Your Voice
Talk clearly and with purpose to sound confident.

“If you want to come across as confident, you have to sound confident. If you want to exude power and authority, you have to use a powerful and authoritative voice. How we sound is just as important to our confidence as we appear.”
– Mehdi Hasan, Win Every Argument
Here’s a little insight: years ago, I did some experiments with my voice. In meetings, I tested out different deliveries, speech patterns, and registers. My voice is naturally very high and kinda whiny, and I changed it slightly. I lowered it and started speaking loudly and clearly.
I exercise something taught in theater: imagine you are on stage speaking, and toss your voice to the back of the theater. This is called projecting your voice. It’s a technique used that conveys confidence.
To project your voice, stand up straight, take a deep breath into your abdomen, and push a steady flow of air through your vocal chords as you speak. With practice, you’ll notice that your words are crisper, clearer, and sound more confident.
Be ConfidenT
Projecting confidence is contagious. So, broadcast it!

Yes, imposter syndrome is real, and there are times when we don’t even feel in control over our own calendars, but projecting confidence in your work is really important, and it comes with practice.
To get you started, here are some Do’s and Don’ts:
Do “keep your head up” because confident people always look ahead, not down.
Do “stand up straight” with your shoulders back. It gives you an air of confidence and control. Also do workouts that strengthen your back. This will give you good posture.
Do “gesture with your palms” open and facing up. It signals transparency and confidence. Politicians are trained to do this.
Don’t “slouch or shrug.” It can come across as lazy, untrustworthy, and lacking in confidence.
Don’t “cross your arms.” Steer clear of adopting a defensive or ‘closed off’ posture.
Don’t “fidget.” You’ll appear nervous, anxious, and possibly insecure.
Don’t “use powerless speech.” It broadcasts insecurity and gives the impression that what you’re saying doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously.

Avoid powerless speech
Powerless speech is also called hedges and weasel words. These are best to be avoided. Here is a list of hedges and weasel words to omit:
Maybe, like, um, uh, ah, probably, sort of, I think, I guess, I wonder, well, you know, I could be wrong, I feel like…
Also, avoid these weak sounding phrases:
“I’m no expert”, “If I’m being honest”, “Let me bounce an idea off of you”, “This might be a stupid idea but…”
These hedges, weasel words, and weak sounding phrases suggest that you are uncertain, insufficient, and not entirely confident with yourself. Be assertive in your communication. It gets you respect and trust, authority and credibility.
Here are some words to use instead:
“I believe”, “We did the research and I am confident that…”, “As a result…”
Use bold statements when possible:
“This is the greatest presentation.” “This presenter is very powerful.” “I don’t like that presenter’s style.”
When making bold statements be ready with the reason why. Remember: people will always want to poke holes in your work by questioning why or what you mean when you make a bold statement.
You’ll Need Patience
Like all things, it’s hard in the beginning. It will require time, experimentation, and patience.

I spent years experimenting, and finding things that work for me. It started years ago when had a mentor tell me, “Joyce, you have to find your voice.” Meaning, I had to find what works for me. And what works for me, may not work for you. And vice versa.
We are different people, and authenticity is key. If I say or do something outside of my character, if I am not genuine, people will pick up on it, and any attempts to connect and build trust will misfire.
But it does get easier as you practice. So be patient! It will take time. You will fail. It may take weeks or months from now. But you will see success. Strut your stuff! Because projecting confidence unlocks influence.