Just Do It

The Confidence Code is a new book by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, who argue that women are left behind in the corporate world in part because they lack the confidence that men have. The authors define confidence as the nitty-gritty stuff that turns our thoughts into actions. For example, a man applies for a job promotion if he has about 60% of the desired skills listed in the job posting; he figures he’ll learn the rest on the job. A woman applies only if she has 100% of the skills listed; her failure to act means she loses out.

Even Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg—surely one of the most powerful female executives on the planet—has admitted she sometimes feels like a fraud in the boardroom. If she’s not confident, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Even younger women—millennials raised to be keenly aware of their specialness and potential—aren’t faring any better. Kay and Claire speculate that young women lack confidence precisely because of how they’ve been raised: with high expectations for their performance in every situation. This mindset of perfection works against their ability to act when situations are not perfectly favourable.

Kay and Claire say that 25–50% of confidence is in our DNA: Our genes potentially make us confident or anxious by the way they interact with our dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin levels. The authors had their genes tested, and the results put them squarely in the female confidence gap: The authors—both successful woman—lack confidence genes.

However, fully 50% of confidence is from nurture and our own volition. The authors prescribe a steady dose of action to negate the effects of our DNA. By building a reservoir of experience based on our actions, we build confidence. Don’t have all the skills listed for that job? Apply anyway. Don’t feel qualified to lead the team project? Put your name forward and don’t look back. Don’t feel like an expert on brain surgery, but you’re booked in the OR this morning? Grab those scrubs and roll up those sleeves (I just hope you’re not operating on me).

But seriously, taking action is key to boosting our confidence and meeting our goals. What action will you take today to move yourself into the spotlight of success?