Like most situations in life there are usually two ways to look at things. A coin offers two outcomes. A roadblock you face usually has two paths to choose from. There are several turning points in our lives where we’re faced with choices, and usually it comes down to two options. Most decisions we make on a daily basis, personal or professional, revolve around a similar model of two choices. And that’s usually the case when it comes to people around you. There’s a good chance you’ll have two groups of people – those who support you and those who oppose you. What it comes down to is you’ll either interact with people who agree or doubt your leadership.

So how do you deal with such situations? One way would be to listen to skeptics but that could lead you to lose confidence in yourself. Or you may just choose to ignore them. Both of these options won’t allow you to silence those who doubt your leadership. It’s just a way of coping with the situation. To actually put an end to doubters and skeptics you may want to consider these tips:

1. Be Confident with the Person You See in the Mirror

As cliché as it sounds, but in all honesty it’s true – the only person holding you back from succeeding is yourself. Now I’m sure you’ve heard this several times, but it just doesn’t get old. And for most of us, it doesn’t sink in enough as well. Sure we feel confident most days but then there are situations that shake our confidence because things don’t always go smoothly. What you need is to keep going back to the mirror, reaffirming that you indeed are competent and capable and walking away a confident person. Rather than dueling too long on your shortcomings and focusing on what’s wrong, skip to what’s right and let that sink in. Wherever you go and whatever you do, there should always be an aura of confidence around you.

2. Don’t Shut Yourself Off

Listening to and taking every word of skeptics seriously can really shatter one’s confidence. But you can’t go head on with them either. And nor can you flat out ignore them. As the saying goes, take their views it with pinch of salt. Skeptics may be looking at things differently, which could provide you an angle that you may have missed. Also, instead of paying attention to what they’re saying focus on why they’re saying it to extract a deeper understanding. Nonetheless, stay focused on what you believe in and use their input to strengthen your resolve.

3. Surround Yourself with Positive Energy

While critics, doubters and skeptics will somehow always be around, it’s up to you how close you allow them. Sure, it’s healthy to have people challenge your decisions and strategies but too much of it can negatively impact your success. To ensure your attitude stays positive, surround yourself with people who are supportive, encouraging and provide you strength. It’s that positive energy that they feed into you that’ll boost your confidence and help you stay on course to future successes.

4. Engage with Strong and Influential Allies

While keeping skeptics at bay, forming alliances with influential people in your organization is a great way of verifying your credibility. The network that these allies have is a great channel to spread your legacy and win support for your strategies. In fact, they could act as ambassadors and advocates of your success that would help you silence those who doubt your leadership.

5. Attitude Is Just One Half

Sure you have confidence and belief in yourself, but a positive attitude alone won’t convert people who doubt your leadership. Nothing validates your leadership strength more than progress and success itself. So while you may encounter a few slips and falls, it’s how well you bounce back and what you learn from those fail that counts. Doubters expect you to fail. But what they don’t expect is for you to recover. They’re keenly observing your next move. Do you walk away and quit? Do you keep failing? To really silence your doubters you’ll need wins. Even if they’re small wins, but wins are what you need to produce and fast.

Convincing people that your leadership will steer them to success and making them believe in your abilities as a leader is a tremendous challenge. Some leaders spend their entire careers fending off doubters and using their time and energy to remain on course. It’s an exhaustive struggle, no doubt. And the last thing you want to do is give in and give up. Aside from the tips I’ve mentioned above, make sure you’re engaging with your team regularly to ensure they’re committed to you and your goals. As a great leader don’t just focus on silencing those who doubt your leadership, but instead let your successes speak volumes.

Like what you read? Subscribe to the Keijzer Community and get updates to your inbox. You’ll also get a free download which will help you take your leadership teams through a growth model which will help them mature on a personal and professional level.