Written by Sonia McDonald, CEO of LeadershipHQ

We all know confident women, confident female leaders. They light up a room when they arrive and they always leave a positive impression. They seem to have an indefinable something that makes them special, and perhaps even inspiring.

Very little stands in the way of emulating the confidence of those female leaders who inspire you. And it’s unlikely they were born so confident. It took mindfulness and practice, so if they can do it so can you.

Confident female leaders:

1. Use their words wisely, with respect and consideration. This is particularly true when speaking of other women. They have no need to gossip, or drag others down to make themselves feel better. Women with confidence are too excited by their plans and dreams.
2. Don’t take anything personally. Women who lead confidently know the only person they can control is themselves, and they are not responsible for anyone else’s emotions or behaviours. You cannot control what others do, only how you react.
3. Use their power for good instead of evil. They know their strengths and capabilities, and seek opportunities to make the world around them just a little better. Whether that be by mentoring another woman in their team and helping them achieve their own goals, or fighting for human rights, they are selfless and share their talent with others.
4. Give credit where credit is due. Confident female leaders won’t take credit for another’s success. Firstly, they have more respect for themselves and others, but also they celebrate the achievements of others, and the satisfaction of having assisted on the journey is more than enough. They support women, and don’t compete with them
5. Trust their instincts. They are thorough and decisive, and when they have made a decision they stick to it. They don’t hesitate or second guess, and this in turn instils confidence and motivates the team they lead.
6. They don’t lead to be liked. Confident leaders are not afraid to make the tough decisions even though they may not be popular. She can handle opposition and will deal with it rationally and fairly, with the conviction to stand by any decision. Those she leads respect her for her ability to follow through and be consistent.
7. They learn from their mistakes. Bumps in the road do not knock confident female leaders off course. They do not expect perfection from themselves or others, and know that with success and responsibility comes risk and sometimes failure. The ability to get up and get on with it after a setback keeps them moving forward and inspires others.
8. Believe in balance and reward. Working hard in the times of heavy workload is balanced with a break and reward for the team when the job is done and the load lightens a little. Confident women lead by example and put in the big hours when required but they are not afraid to celebrate and regroup and take a breather in preparation for the next challenge ahead.
9. Don’t waste time on worry. What if’s and should have been’s don’t exist for the women who is confident in her leadership. Worry changes nothing and is a waste of energy and focus that can be used to move forward.
10. They are authentic. Understanding their own motivations and being clear in their belief systems, confident leadership in women who inspire and motivate is effective, credible and consistent. Insincerity is obvious and unacceptable to those you lead, even if they can’t quite identify what’s not right. Authenticity is central to female leaders with confidence.

If you are unsure of yourself, people won’t listen and if you don’t believe in the course you set, then others won’t be motivated and inspired to follow you. Perhaps you’re almost ready to become a confident female leader by unlocking your unique leadership potential.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn by Sonia McDonald, 9th August 2015. Read the original article here.