What's the key to confidence? Broadcast journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman researched the subject in their bestselling book "The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know. Here's some of their tips for how you can be more confident at work -- whether it comes naturally or not. Connect: Professional Women’s Network is online community with more than 375,000 members that discusses issues relevant to women and their success. The free LinkedIn group powered by Citi also features videos interviews with influential businesswomen, live Q&As with experts and slideshows with career advice. To learn more and join the conversation in the largest women's group on LinkedIn, visit http://www.linkedin.com/womenconnect.

1. SIMPLE
WAYS TO
BUILD YOUR
CONFIDENCE
INSPIRED BY

2. MEET KATTY KAY &
CLAIRE SHIPMAN!
Broadcast journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are
the authors of the bestselling Womenomics and, most
recently, The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of
Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know. When
researching confidence, they explored neuroscience,
psychology, cognition and genetics and interviewed
successful women in every field from politics to sports.

3. Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
answered questions about
confidence from members of
Connect: Professional Women’s
Network. Here’s some of their
most popular advice.

4. Is everyone scared, and
some people just fake it
better than others? Yes.
We’ve found that a
surprising number of women
feel like imposters, and men
tell us they often lack
confidence, too. While men
use that as a motivation for
action, women tend to
hesitate—and often opt out.
But we can change that.
Remember that it’s
NORMAL to be afraid, and
then move on to action.

5. How do you regain your confidence when you’ve taken a risk and it
hasn’t worked out? The first thing you need to do is use some self-compassion.
Then recognize that taking risks—and failing—is part of
success. Start, as quickly as possible, to see what you can learn from it—it’s
important to move your mind in the direction of “next time” as quickly as
possible. Finally, congratulate yourself for being a risk-taker.

6. QUICK
CONFIDENCE BOOSTER!
Identify a small risk—something you
can accomplish in 15 minutes. Set
your timer and do it. Notice how you
feel, and how you’re now ready to
take on something else.

7. Does the “fake it till you make it” approach work? For women,
we don’t suggest “faking it” only because we feel like imposters.
It’s almost more useful to adopt the Nike slogan “Just Do It.”
Realize it’s OK to be nervous, and then make action the
antidote. Action is what will ultimately create more confidence.

8. Any tips for how to be more confident when it comes to public
speaking? Shift from “me” to “we.” Literally change the “I’s” and
“me’s” in your address to “we” or “the mission of the team.”
Women draw a lot of power from speaking for a group, but we are
less comfortable promoting ourselves.

9. How can I feel more
confident asking for a
raise? First, know the
market rate. Have
an ongoing dialogue
with your supervisors
to make them aware of
your accomplishments,
and make the money
conversation as
matter-of-fact as
possible: “Here’s the
value I bring to the
company and its
bottom line, and here’s
what I think I deserve.”

10. QUICK
CONFIDENCE BOOSTER!
Be honest about your talents—write
them down, celebrate them.
Interestingly, when you do that,
recognizing your weaknesses is no
longer a confidence crusher.

11. What advice do you have for raising confident daughters? Ban
perfectionism! Encouraging girls to be “good” all the time plants
the seed of always trying to be perfect later in life. Girls internalize
the lesson that they always need to get everything right to reach
the top of the class, but this ends up smothering achievement.

12. RAISE CONFIDENT
DAUGHTERS!
• Praise daughters moderately, not
excessively. Saying “Well done for working
so hard on this” is much better than “You
are the best student ever.”
• Help your daughter feel satisfied when
she’s done her best, regardless of whether
she’s done better or worse than others.
• Show your daughter you aren’t perfect
either. When you make a mistake, don’t
hide it. Then show her the world didn’t
end just because you messed up.

13. I’m just starting my career. How can I feel confident when everyone else
knows so much more? First, recognize your skills. Be honest about your
accomplishments (most women undervalue them), and then you can see
that you are valuable. Second, stop worrying and analyzing! Women
ruminate, and it undermines our confidence. Go outside your comfort zone
and keep pushing through the hurdles, rejections and learning hiccups.

14. I’m returning to work after taking time off. Any advice for bolstering
my confidence after an absence? The more matter-of-fact you are
about why you took time off, the better. But you don’t need to dwell.
Keep the focus on what you have done and what you can do. NOBODY
is as focused on your perceived lack of qualifications as you are.

15. QUICK
CONFIDENCE BOOSTER!
Take a half hour while you’re working
and become aware of your internal
dialogue. Be on alert for any
obsessive or catastrophic thinking.
Practice halting the negative ideas
with an alternative positive scenario.
Notice how the intervention
stops the cycle.

16. I had lots of confidence when I was younger, but it seems to
decrease as I get older. How can I build it back? Early in your career,
you probably had to do things quite frequently that stretched or
pushed you a bit. It’s important that we keep stretching and pushing
ourselves and not remain in our comfort zones—even when it’s so
much cozier and safer to keep doing what we do very well.

17. I sometimes get negative
reactions to my
confidence. How do you
recommend handling
these? We find that
balancing confidence with
a good bit of warmth is a
big help. It’s definitely not
a good idea to apologize
for your expertise—just
focus on being authentic.

18. KILL THE NATS
(NEGATIVE AUTOMATIC THOUGHTS)
Every time you think a negative
thought, remind yourself of three good
things you did. This puts the minor
failure in perspective. It reminds you
that while you may have had one
setback, you’ve also had triumphs. If
you keep doing this and make it a part
of your mental routine, you will train
your brain to think differently.

19. JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
LinkedIn and Citi’s Connect: Professional Women’s Network is an
online community with more than 375,000 members that helps
women achieve the careers they want and discuss issues relevant
to their success.
For more great insights on confidence, check out
Katty Kay and Claire Shipman’s discussion in Connect.
Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect for more
information and to join the group for free!
PHOTO CREDITS:
4: MoMo Productions/Getty Images
9, 11, 16: Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
13: luckyraccoon/Getty Images
17: Dave and Les Jacobs/Getty Images
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