Find Confidence and Success in 2024 with Jamie McKinney

On this week’s episode of The Leadership Habit Podcast, Jenn kicks off the new year by talking to bestselling author Jamie McKinney about how to find confidence and success in 2024. If you are setting your goals and wondering if you have what it takes to achieve them, this episode is for you!

Meet Jamie McKinney, MBA

Jamie McKinney is the bestselling author of Speak Up Sister! The Professional Woman’s Guide to Confidence and Success. She’s also an award-winning confidence and leadership coach for both executives and emerging leaders.

Throughout her career in heavily technical industries, Jamie learned lessons both the hard way– and the better way. Jamie likes to joke that her stilettos have steel toes!

Jamie ignites action in her clients by instilling them with unstoppable confidence via her online course, Speak Up to Level Up, keynote speaking, and coaching services. Inspired by the responses she received after being featured in Scale It Magazine in an article titled, Strong Female in a Male-Dominated Industry, Jamie realized that sharing her story and experience could help others stand in their power to find confidence and success.

What is Confidence Anyway?

As the podcast episode opens, Jenn welcomes Jamie to the show and asks Jamie what confidence means to her. She explains:

“What does confidence even mean? Let’s, let’s start with the 101. So the etymology of the word confidence is con plus fidelis. So con means with, and fidelis means faith or belief. So the word confidence means with a belief, with a faith in yourself.

And that belief, that system, that thought, that’s something that each of us gets to choose as an individual, right? It’s not something that you’re just born with, or you’re not.

In fact, there is a confidence gene. We are all born with confidence and a belief that you can do something– that is confidence.

And then it’s confidence plus courage because we can’t just think it, right? We have to actually do it. We have to step into action. Courage is the action that you take to prove it to yourself, to prove that belief to yourself.”

What’s Your ETA?

Later Jenn and Jamie discuss how to be mindful of what you can control– and what you cannot. Jamie likes to think about her “ETA” or emotions, thoughts and actions to take a step back and figure out what she can control. Being aware of your emotions, paying attention to your thoughts and then taking action will help you build more confidence.

Then, Jamie gives the example of a client who would ruminate on every little thing that went wrong at work as she drove home each day. This would hurt her confidence and drain her energy. So, she began to practice trying to think about the things that went right and things she will do better next time. Making a small shift in her thoughts– which are in her control– started helping her feel more confident and energetic at work, and happier after work, too!

The 3 Circumstances that Destroy Confidence

Then, Jenn and Jamie discuss three things that can immediately rattle our confidence.

When you encounter the unfamiliar.
When the stakes are high.
When you are in a period of change or transition.

Jamie explains that these are the three circumstances that are most likely to rattle your confidence, and being aware of them can help you be prepared for these difficult situations. She then shares her antidotes for each of those circumstances.

When you encounter an unfamiliar situation– get more familiar with it! For example, If you are nervous about a new experience like speaking in front of a group– rehearse your speech. If you have an important meeting, take time beforehand to organize your thoughts and prepare yourself so you can show up with confidence.
When the stakes are high– take time for yourself to think strategically about your strengths and abilities and how to apply them to this situation. Build your awareness of your superpowers so you can feel confident even when the stakes are high.
When you are going through change– focus on what you know to be true. Prioritize spending time on activities that you do have control over to restore your sense of calm. For example, taking time to go to your favorite yoga or fitness class. Taking an action that you can control will build your confidence when you are going through transitions.

Jamie then explains:

“Confidence is a gene. It’s a gene that everybody is born with, and you can grow it and flex it just as intentionally as a muscle. And when you do that is good for you. It is good for your mental health.

You’re releasing dopamine when you do that. And it is good for the people around you, especially when you’re leading a team. I mean, you know, confidence is contagious and it, it provokes action. And that’s what you want in people.

So know that you’ve got the power. Everybody already has this inside. This is not some magic thing that you’re going to discover somewhere else. You already have it. Be intentional about doing some of the things that we talked about in this podcast, and watch your confidence flourish, watch it blossom, and enjoy the response of the people around you as well.”

Find Confidence and Success in 2024 with Jamie’s Special Offer

Be sure to check out the entire podcast episode to get all of Jamie’s insights into boosting your confidence! If you want to find out more about Jamie’s services, she has created a special offer for The Leadership Habit Audience!

If you go to jamiemckinney.com/contact and send Jamie a note letting her know you enjoyed this podcast episode, she will give you a $500 gift certificate towards the purchase of a coaching package, keynote speaking or workshop! That’s a great value, so be sure to check out her website and let her know what you thought of the podcast!

Thanks as always for listening to The Leadership Habit podcast. If you are looking for more ways to develop your leadership skills to find success in 2024, please visit our resources page to find our latest webinars, e-books, podcasts and leadership articles!