The four most important words we share in basketball are "I believe in you." Not far behind are "I can do this."
Confidence allows us to face challenges, adversity, confront fears, and take risks. Confident individuals extract three to five times more information from opportunity. They interview better, perform better, and succeed more often.
During medical training, interns and residents 'present' new or difficult cases (admissions, management problems) before some of their peers and senior medical staff. These educational sessions are a daily rehearsal or 'tryout' for selection for higher post-graduate positions. Poorly constructed or argued presentations by sleep-deprived trainees to rested, experienced physicians can torpedo professional dreams.
As a sleep-challenged intern, I mentally rehearsed each narrative and discussion, preparing for "Morning Report." In addition to including pertinent positives and negatives, the trainee constructs a "differential diagnosis" as well as a diagnostic process and initial treatment plan. He or she is also expected to defend those arguments.
These sessions naturally can provoke a lot of anxiety. I viewed them as a 'proving ground', in a pyramid program, where only one or no intern would advance directly to residency. Good fortune and process allowed me to continue directly as a resident. Confidence, forged from proven success, made the difference.
What is confidence? Confidence is best described as self-trust or self-efficacy. Confidence is dynamic, growing or retreating with results, skills, process, and other inputs.
Amy Cuddy researched the impact of body positioning and posture on confidence. Neurochemical/neurohormonal inputs affect our actions. She found that more expansive (open) body positions raised testosterone and lowered cortisol levels in both men and women. Testosterone facilitates risk taking, dampening the amygdala's fear response. Experimentally, this allowed subjects to interview or perform better during competition. Periods as short as 90 seconds to two minutes increased testosterone levels 20-25 percent and lowered cortisol levels 20-25 percent, reducing a key stress hormone.
Other inputs drive our confidence. John Calipari and Nick Saban both have personal 'boards of directors' that they discuss options with. Confidants or mentors can share opinions, options, and alternatives.
Benchmarking, comparing our level to others, can enhance confidence. Test preparation courses or software can improve both test taking and confidence. Many college teams schedule 'softer' opponents early to grow their squads' confidence.
Videotaping and visualization exercises can impact confidence. Jason Selk's 10 Minute Toughness includes visualization (personal highlight reel) as a confidence technique. Roland Carlstedt favors a more quantitative approach with his Carlstedt Protocol.
The bottom line is that our mental game informs our results and many readily available tools can boost confidence and results. Find ways to say, "I believe in you" and hear "I can do this."