During a golf lesson this week, I asked my golf pro (Milo Lines) “How do I build my confidence in hitting this 3-wood?” He replied, “Success breeds success.” And continued helping me hone my swing, rotate my hips, “push the club face through the ball” and wow did that ball soar! He also advised me to practice this shot using a tee. “But Milo, we can’t tee it up on the fairway, so why practice with a tee at the range?” And here’s where he shared the nugget of advice “success breeds success.” You want to have the confidence in hitting that shot. Trying time and again to hit it off the ground is only going to cause frustration. But, hitting it with a tee just barely above the ground, you’ll have a lot more great shots....and build your confidence.
What does a golf lesson have to do with leadership and professional development?
Success breeds success.
If you want to work on your negotiating skills, don’t practice on the big, complex negotiations. Start with small ones to build your confidence and work up to “that awesome shot.”
If you want to build your confidence in presentation skills or public speaking, don’t start with a major client presentation or speaking to a group of 500 (of a zoom call with 40 people). Start with presenting your idea to a group of 3. Then build your confidence as you present to larger groups and major clients.
Remember, success breeds success. So as you are building your personal or professional skills, find a way to practice in small ways to give yourself the wins that build your confidence.