提高自信：从假装自己可以开始

    《财富》最具影响力女性内部网络（MPW Insider）是一个在线社区，在此，商界大腕及时回答关于职业生涯和领导力的问题。本周的问题是：在职场中，聪明和自信哪个更重要？最佳职场研究所（Great Place to Work Institute）首席执行官s的回答如下。

    你可以是屋子里最聪明的人，也可以是全世界最聪明的人，但如果没有自信，你什么也做不到。的确，把工作做好很重要，聪明才智也是不可或缺的，但是，对自身能力抱持的最基本的自信却是成功的关键。毕竟，如果你对自己都缺乏信心，那么你又如何让别人相信你？

    在我的职业生涯早期，经历了与许多人同样的不安，默默地担心缺乏经验会让自己遭遇一些尴尬的失败或错过机遇。随后，我的一位朋友建议我不要去担心那些看不见的问题，“在你能做到之前，先假装自己可以（fake it till I make it）”。我照做了。首先，我的新心态奏效了。我觉得，“做到之前先假装自己可以”这一理念能够发挥作用的原因在于，将短处最小化并将长处最大化是树立自信的一种可靠方式。当我将注意力从对失败的担心转向相信自己有能力做好工作，我得到了之前缺乏的经验，同时也树立了信心。

    当然，缺乏自信并非只是年轻人和无经验人士才有的毛病，当新挑战来临，或我们所从事的项目未能取得所预期的成功，我们都很容易缺乏自信。那该怎么办？坚持信念。记住，作为一个领导者，你的下属将受你的影响。如果你优柔寡断或惴惴不安，他们也会变成这样。相反，如果你对团队所面临的挑战抱持自信和积极的态度，他们亦会如此。你对人对己的信心会逐渐渗透，最终，让你的团队拥有更好的表现，更高的士气以及更多的成功。因此，请务必保持自信，这便是最聪明的事。（财富中文网）

    译者：李翔

    审稿：Vera Han

    MPW Insider is one of several online communities where the biggest names in business answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: Career-wise, is it more important to be smart or confident? is written by China Gorman, CEO of Great Place to Work Institute.

    You can be the smartest person in the room, or the world, for that matter, but you’re never going anywhere without confidence. Yes, it’s important to be able to do your job well, and intelligence is never an optional extra, but confidence – that fundamental belief in your own abilities, is critical to your success. After all, if you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else?

    Early in my career, I struggled with the same insecurities as everyone else, silently fearing that my lack of experience would bring about some embarrassing failure or missed opportunity. Then, a friend gave me the advice to stop worrying about invisible problems and “fake it till I make it.” And I did. Best of all, my new mindset worked. I believe the reason why the “fake it to make it” concept works is because minimizing weaknesses and maximizing strengths is a proven confidence-builder. By shifting my focus from fear of failure to faith in my ability to perform well, I gained the experience I lacked and built up my confidence at the same time.

    Of course, lack of confidence is not a malady that plagues only the young and inexperienced; it rears its slumped shoulders whenever new challenges emerge or a project we led didn’t quite reach the stratospheric levels of success we’d hoped. What to do? Keep the faith. Remember that as a leader, your people take their cues from you. If you are tentative and insecure, they will be, too. Conversely, if you are confident and positive about the challenges your team faces, they will be, too. The trickle-down power of your confidence in yourself – and in them –will ultimately lead your people to better performances, boosted morale and more successes than failures. So be confident, it’s the smart thing to do.