Confidence. To be sure of oneself; having no uncertainty about one’s abilities, correctness, successfulness. Often synonymous with being bold.

Knowing who we are helps us to be better people. Do you believe it? Do you live it? Having confidence also helps us not only stand for those who are marginalized but learn and grow in our own equity consciousness deficiencies at the same time. So I ask again…Do you believe in who you are? Do you live in the belief of yourself and others? Can you see it, so you can be it? 

Results of a recent study reveals the majority are legitimately struggling in their confidence when it comes to diversity and inclusion. 459 people from 6 continents offered their current state on where they have opportunity for growth in their equity consciousness. 84% of survey responses shared they de-emphasize differences while 70% adjust their own beliefs to match concocted ones. More responders conceded to being easily manipulated in accepting something that they would otherwise be in conflict with while 86% of responses acknowledged having an underlying belief that another culture is deficient in important ways from theirs. There is a glimmer of hope which is that 40% want to strengthen their equity consciousness. Wanting to see things differently. Having confidence will build endurance in doing so. 

The word confidence derives from the latin word ‘fidere’ which means to trust. In an era where social media, self-help, twenty-four hour news, our trust can often be stolen from us without our even knowing. Confidence is a precious commodity and here’s why, it helps us build bridges rather than barriers. You don’t need to give it away. You don’t need to wait for someone else to determine what you stand for. Here and now, confidence is and always has been within you all along. 

Confidence Builders

Friend commenting on similarities on everyone’s social media posts while de-emphasizing differences? Be clear in how those differences are positive attributes. In diversity there is beauty and there is strength. ~Maya Angelou

Person ostracizing you for going against the ‘norm’? Think for yourself before accepting something that would be in conflict with our moral beings. You can go your own way. ~ Fleetwood Mac

Negative person in the grocery line demoralizing another? Stand up. Change your posture and use your voice on their behalf. Don’t let silence be mistaken for agreement. You’d be surprised what lengths people will go to not to face what’s real and painful inside them. ~HPLYRIKZ.COM 

Colleague scoffs at a peer who is late associating it as a deficit of that peer’s culture. Squelch the misconception and build a different version that enacts unity. We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race. ~ Kofi Annan

Confidence Reflection

Here’s a simple exercise to help you stop putting your trust in outside sources but rather building your own confidence in equity consciousness. There are several variations to the layers of our own diversity beginning with the pioneers Loden and Rosener (1991) and there continues to be great value in ongoing research. For the purpose of your confidence building in recognizing your strengths and opportunities for growth within your layers of diversity, follow these steps:

1. Draw a small circle the size of a golf ball and then tier three additional circles, each getting a bit larger surrounding the original golf ball. 
2. Label each section from smallest to largest: personality, internal dimensions, external dimensions and lastly, the outer circle will encompass organizational dimensions.
3. Write in the areas in your life that represent each tier of the circle.
4. Reflect

• What do you currently recognize within each of these four sections that influences your current confidence?
• How could you potentially process the stimuli and information represented in a way that empowers your value level of diversity to increase?
• What assumptions were driving your own behaviors and ultimately impacting others both positively and negatively? 

Curious for more? Here is the link to an example to get your juices flowing and here is a link to another example for you to consider. Build relentless confidence in who you are.

There’s not cost in building your confidence, but there is great loss for yourself and others in not doing so. Break any confusion and stand for those who are marginalized in your own confidence. 

Tap into your confidence for the positive, embrace it, allow it to help you see things differently. You offer a unique combination of life experience, perspective, position, and history. No one else in the world brings to equity and inclusion what you do. Bring what you have a little more boldly and you might surprise yourself in how you transform not only your life but also the life of others. We [SEE] you. Want to join our movement? Pick one, or two, or three, or all. You’ll be so glad you did.

• Share. Spread the word through Likes, shares, and following us on social media.
• Reflect. Be a part of our research study by completing our Equity Consciousness® Teaser Test.
• See it. Be it. Sign up for one of our pilot study discussion groups.
• Network. Subscribe to our community so we can continue the conversation.

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