Self-Confidence

Self-Confidence: Choosing the Right Voice (And Acting on It!)

Us Workstylers believe confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It’s something you can build, nurture, and strengthen—especially when working independently. Because in an autonomous workstyle, no one else is responsible for building you back up when doubt creeps in. That’s your job. And with the right tools, it’s a job you can absolutely do!

Confidence Isn’t Just About Skill

Let’s be clear: self-confidence isn’t the same as competence. You can be highly skilled, experienced, and capable—and still find your brain feeding you a constant stream of self-doubt.

This internal tension often shows up as two competing voices:

• The fear voice, which says: “What if I fail?”

  The resourceful voice, which reminds you: “You’ve done this before. You’ve got this.”

Both voices are trying to help, but only one of them is actually on your side.

The fear voice is part of your brain’s protective instinct. It wants to keep you safe, comfortable, and free from risk. The problem? If you always listen to that voice, your confidence will stay small. Your comfort zone becomes a cage.

How to Rebuild Confidence (Even When No One Else Is Watching)

Whether you’re a freelancer, a manager, or part of a hybrid team, there will be moments when your confidence dips. Maybe a pitch doesn’t land, or a colleague questions your approach, or you simply wake up feeling off.

So how do you reset?

1. Interrupt the Negative Loop

The first step is recognising when fear is running the show. Ask yourself:

“Is this true? Or is this just fear talking?”

Often, the story your brain spins about “not being good enough” doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Challenging these automatic thoughts helps you regain perspective.

2. Track Small Wins Daily

Your brain tends to believe what it sees repeated. If you only focus on failures or perceived shortcomings, your confidence will erode.

Start retraining your brain to notice the positives. Each day, write down three small wins, however minor they might seem. It could be:

• You finished a tricky task you’d been putting off.

• You contributed to a meeting.

• Someone asked you for work advice.

Over time, this creates a mental shift. Your brain starts actively looking for signs that you can.

3. Confidence Follows Action

It’s a common misconception that you need to feel confident before taking action. In reality, it’s the other way around.

Confidence grows when you take action, even if you don’t feel “ready.” Say yes to the opportunity. Try the new thing before you're certain you’ll succeed.

Acting in spite of uncertainty sends a powerful message to your brain: you are capable. And that message, repeated, builds belief.

Confidence in an Autonomous Workstyle

When you work within a traditional, tightly managed structure, external validation can temporarily prop up confidence. But in a more flexible or autonomous environment, you need to become your own validator.

That’s not always easy—but it’s more sustainable in the long term.

According to Emotional Intelligence research (Goleman, 1995), self-awareness and self-regulation are two of the key components of leadership resilience. When you develop the ability to notice your own thought patterns, challenge the ones that don’t serve you, and take action aligned with your values, you become your own steady source of confidence, regardless of the external noise.

Final Thought: Which Voice Are You Choosing?

Every day, you choose which voice to believe. One tells you to stay small. The other reminds you of what’s possible.

Confidence is a practice, not a fixed trait. The more you listen to the voice that empowers you—and take action in alignment with it—the stronger your confidence becomes.

If your team is navigating more autonomous ways of working and you want support in building confidence, communication and resilience, get in touch at lizzie@workstyle.org.uk.

At Workstyle Revolution, we’re helping individuals and teams work in ways that support both performance and well-being.

This blog was written by one of our team of volunteers,Poppy Tollemache, on behalf of the Workstyle Revolution.