Everyone from the CEO in the corner office to the frontline supervisor can experience self-doubt and struggle to believe in themselves from time to time. Though these feelings are exacerbated for those experiencing a major career transition, such as first-time managers and those starting new leadership roles.
If you're struggling with self-doubt or having difficulty believing in yourself, we recommend reading through the following quotes. You may be surprised to find some of the world's most inspirational professionals in their field have been in your shoes before.
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” - Dale Carnegie
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we might win, by fearing to attempt.” - William Shakespeare
“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.” - Tim Ferriss
“I have self doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.” - Kobe Bryant
“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” - Louise L. Hay
“I keep going because I doubt myself. It drives me to be better. I’ve learned that the mastery of self doubt is the key to success.” - Will Smith
“Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” - T. Harv Eker
“Fear and self doubt have always been the greatest enemies of human potential.” - Brian Tracy
“By the way, everything in life is writable if you have the outgoing guts to do it and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self doubt.” - Sylvia Path
“Don’t forget, while you’re busy doubting yourself, someone else is admiring your strength.” - Kristen Butler
“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend you do, and at some point, you will.” - Venus Williams
It is normal to doubt yourself at work, and from the looks of this list, you're not alone. Everyone, including some of the world's top musicians, athletes, business people, keynote speakers, and published authors, struggle to believe in themselves from time to time.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to make it through such times and ultimately come out on top. One way to do that in the context of the workplace is to thoroughly plan and prepare. For example, for those starting a leadership role at a new company or for the first time, it is highly beneficial to create a 30-60-90 day plan as it provides the reassurance one needs when they're doubting themselves.