There’s no doubt that confidence is often key — but maybe not for the reasons you expect; here are a few tried and true tips for ensuring the room reads your confidence:
1. Commit yourself. There is nothing more compelling than an entrepreneur that is going to execute his/her dream regardless of funding. While this sounds like an impossible feat for some, the most driven entrepreneurs I’ve met are committed to seeing their dream through no matter what. They won’t let a lack of money stand in their way.
2. Be genuine. If you’re going after a need that you feel personally and have intimate experience with, that alone is often a signal toward success.
3. Know thyself. If you have an entrepreneur that realizes what they are and aren’t good at, it signals someone whose goal is not to centralize power and operational responsibility underneath themselves. This is someone who understands their own weak spots and is open to hiring for those positions.
At the end of the day, the goal needs to go before the role. You may not be the right CEO in the long run, but, if you can admit your weaknesses and get people smarter than you in those other roles, you will have a much higher chance of succeeding than those who put title first.
Image Creative Commons, Robert T Cole.
