«The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. »

 Franklin Delano Roosevelt / Message for Jefferson Day - April 13, 1945

As the business world undergoes transformation, behavioral skills that cannot be replaced by robots have become central to ongoing employee training. Among these skills is a key competency: self-confidence. 

Whether proposing an innovation, uniting a team, or advancing your organization, self-confidence plays a crucial role at work. Commonly defined as a belief in one's own abilities, skills, and judgments, it directly impacts success, performance, and company health. Conversely, a lack of self-confidence can generate doubt, create fear of failure, or trigger impostor syndrome, hindering both individual and organizational potential.

Self-confidence is not innate; it is acquired and cultivated daily. Here are 5 keys to help you develop it on a daily basis.

1/ Know Your "Why":

In the concept of the Golden Circle, author and speaker Simon Sinek emphasizes the importance of understanding why you do what you do. Being aware of this "why," or the "purpose" behind your actions, helps increase your confidence and engagement at work.

Reflection Points:

• Identify an area where you want to take action at work.

• Question the "why" behind this action.

• Observe the evolution of your confidence after identifying the "why."

2/ Value Your Skills and Experience:

Recognizing and valuing your skills, achievements, and experiences reinforces self-confidence and fosters progress. Every individual brings added value to their organization through their identity, career, and life journey. By cultivating recognition of your full potential, you'll gain assurance and open new spaces for creativity, innovation, and engagement—key drivers of organizational development.

Reflection Points:

• List 3 of your talents known to your professional circle.

• Identify 1 talent unknown to your professional circle.

• Ask yourself: if this talent were recognized in your professional environment, what would it change for you, your colleagues, and your organization?

3/ Set SMART Goals:

Defining clear objectives and achieving them successfully enhances overall confidence at work. The SMART method is a frequently used project management technique for setting goals and indicators that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Example of a SMART Goal:

• One of the annual goals set with my manager is to increase the revenue I generate this year.

• SMART Formulation: One of the goals set with my manager for this year is to increase by 15% the revenue from web sales in Morocco by December 31, 2024 (compared to 12% in 2023).

4/ Accept Failures:

"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." — Henry Ford

Failure is a necessary step. It provides experience, learning, and growth. Viewing failure as a learning opportunity allows you to better manage its impact on self-confidence. If you perceive a situation as a failure, reflect on the message it carries and the new opportunities it opens.

5/ Celebrate Successes:

Celebrating successes helps reinforce self-confidence at work. A successful meeting, a project won, a conviction expressed—each day is filled with various individual, collective, and organizational successes. Taking a few minutes each day to observe, recognize, and celebrate your successes will help cultivate confidence in yourself and others at work, integrating it into the organization's culture.

Dounia Zellou

Dounia Zellou is a professional coach, trainer, and consultant. She leads HUMAN ·A ·YA, a firm specializing in human skills development. HUMAN ·A ·YA offers training, professional coaching, and consulting services in Morocco and internationally, incorporating innovative support approaches.

Sources :

The Future of Jobs Report 2023 – World Economic Forum – 30 april 2023

THIBAULT, François. Qu'est-ce que la confiance en soi ? Maddyness. 4 january 2019.

ACKERMAN, Courteney. What is Self-Confidence? + 9 Ways to Increase It. Positive Psychology. 9 jly 2018.

FREYTRICH, Laurent. Avoir confiance en soi, ce n’est pas si dur ! Le Point. 28 july 2019.

SINEK Simon. The Golden Circle TedTalks. 2009.