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A person’s performance is directly related to their feeling of competence and expectations of their effectiveness. As a leader, one of the more rewarding aspects of your role is the opportunity to help those in your group gain self-confidence.

You have the ability to help them visualize what they’re capable of and what they can reasonably expect of themselves in the future. Track their accomplishments and remind them of their growth. Motivate them by acknowledging how far they’ve grown and developed, and always remind them how it feels to perform well. This will give them the confidence necessary to perform at their peak and to tackle intimidating or new tasks without hesitation. Set your expectations for the task at a level they can achieve so that their successes build confidence and motivate them to conquer challenges in the future. Create tasks that help them improve in small increments so that each success builds a base for the next task.

Here are a few thoughts to reflect on:

• Self-confidence is largely a matter of believing in one’s capabilities and performing with a sense of pride, perseverance, and commitment.
• Self-esteem is determined by how convinced one is that they can be successful, and directly relates to motivation.
• Expectations and potential rewards determine how much risk someone will take and the amount of effort they will expend to overcome adversity.
  

It’s well worth your effort to develop your team in these areas. Remember—first set a reasonable expectation, then motivate them by recognizing the progress you see them making towards the goal. Instilling confidence is a task that is never finished.

The above content is extracted from Mike Holt's Leadership Skills textbook.