Dr. Dimitra Iordanoglou diordan@otenet.gr Department of Communication, Media and Culture Panteion University, Athens Greece

Self-confidence

What is it? …is the belief in one’s own capability to accomplish a task and select an effective approach to solve a problem. It includes confidence in one’s ability as expressed in increasingly challenging circumstances and confidence in one’s decisions or opinions

Self confidence in action People with high SC Trust their opinion even in the face of opposition Are decisive Take risks and try new things Have a presence People with low SC Avoid confrontation with people Do not trust their judgment Hesitate to try new things Avoid challenges Unable to stand up for their rights

Self esteem, Self efficacy, Locus of control Self esteem: represents a global self evaluation. It is the extend to which people like, respect and are satisfied with themselves Self efficacy: A person’s belief that she/he has the ability, motivation, correct self perception to complete a task successfully. People with high self efficacy have a can - do attitude. Locus of Control: a person’s general belief about the amount of control (s)he has over personal life events. Individuals who think that events in their life are due to fate or luck have an external locus of control whereas those who feel that can influence their destiny have an internal locus of control. Internal locus of control has been associated with better performance and leadership positions.

The role of heredity With building self confidence, there are two types of influence that are impressed upon us in life. There is social heredity and physical heredity. Physical heredity is a collection of traits, physical appearances and habits passed down from parents and grandparents that have a likely outcome of designed behaviors in an individual. Social heredity comes from all sources and places through which a person obtains knowledge, such as school, church, reading, video, story telling and word of mouth conversation. Physical heredity is able to be controlled more so as it relates to this subject, however control of thoughts and action is more likely dependent on the effects of social heredity.

Self confidence, arrogance and fear There is a actually a distinct difference between self confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is almost always a destructive behavior, while a nice dose of self confidence can take a man or woman to heights almost unimaginable. If you are going to develop self confidence you must start with eliminating fear. Fear  antagonizes the human soul. It speaks to man telling him, “You can’t do it -you are not strong enough to make the attempt – you should worry of what others may think – you will fail.” For those people who can master and eliminate fear, they will begin immediately developing self confidence. As you continue to push your yourself and face your fear, the confidence within you will grow

4A: Assess your Core Self - Evaluations OBJECTIVE: To help participants assess the levels of their core self-evaluation and set goals for improvement ESTIMATED TIME: 20-30 min.   DESCRIPTION: Give participants a copy of the Core Self-Evaluations Scale and ask them to complete it.  

4B: Case study: Steve Jobs. An unconventional leader OBJECTIVE: To help participants elaborate on leadership theories and exchange views and ideas about ways to apply leadership skills on their work ESTIMATED TIME: 45 min DESCRIPTION: Read the case study and discuss the following questions as a group:  Was Steve Jobs a self - confident leader?  Which of his behaviors demonstrate this skill?  Write a short report analyzing his leadership style based on the theories you have learned so far

Steve Jobs motivational speech at Stanford His life in 3 stories (15 min.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO6cFMRqXqU

4C: Brand Yourself OBJECTIVE: To help participants identify their strengths and learn to present themselves in an assertive and confident way. ESTIMATED TIME: 40-45 min. MATERIALS: A4 sheets for each participant, various magazines, scissors and glues. DESCRIPTION: Think of the following questions and then create a collage which describes your abilities as a person and as a (future) professional. Add a tag line to your personal brand. You can use pictures from the magazines, drawings or any object that can best describe your personality Imagine this activity as part of an innovative personnel selection process where you apply for a leadership position) .  Identify the primary "product" you have to offer to others (service, resource, special ability, etc.)  Identify your core values. What really matters to you?  Identify your passions. What things or ideas do you love?  Identify your talents. What have you always been recognized for?  What do you do better than most other people? What skills do people seem to notice in you? (An example of a professional coach’s tag line: “A visionary realist to help you discover and manifest your dreams”)

Developmental activities On the job Find a model of self confidence Get a mentor to help you demonstrate this skill in various situations and give you honest feedback Further reading http://www.slideshare.net/shabbarsuterwala/developing-self-confidence?from_search=2 http://www.slideshare.net/shabbarsuterwala/self-confidence-15-tips-to-develop-presentation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA Film watching