Confidence as a Source of Strength

Many people remember the story of the Invisible Ninni from the Moomins. In the story, a mistreated girl becomes invisible and only the red bow in her ponytail and the dress she wears can be seen. In Moominvalley, it is the family’s kindness, care, and ultimately Ninni’s courage to express her feelings that make her visible again.

It is easy to be invisible. Showing yourself as you truly are and expressing your emotions requires courage and not to mention practice. So how do you become visible, and why does it matter?

A fundamental part of our right to exist is the right to be seen. Communication and presentation skills are one form of visibility, one of the most powerful tools of influence, and something that can be learned. As human beings, we long to be seen and heard. Yet we often choose not to take that opportunity and instead remain silent. Invisible. Why?

Choosing invisibility can stem from many different reasons. Remaining silent in everyday workplace interactions is quite common. According to some studies, nearly half of people choose not to share their thoughts, opinions, feedback, comments, insights, or ideas. Often, this is driven by fear or a lack of confidence, but it can also be a conscious form of resistance or indifference. Whatever the reason, a vast amount of valuable information remains hidden. This directly impacts the success of individuals, teams, organizations, and communities.

The question “Who am I?” is essential to answer if we want to become visible as our authentic selves and show up with confidence in any situation. It is often a more difficult question than it seems at first glance. It can lead to deep analysis, chronological life stories, or lists of demographic details, but it can also be answered more playfully.

My own answer might sound something like this:

I am like a bird. When I’m flying, everything falls into perspective, but often I find myself sitting on a fence with two other crows, observing things up close. Both perspectives are needed – in the right balance.

The funny part is that I don’t particularly like birds. Once in Barcelona, a pigeon kept targeting me with breadcrumbs. There were other people around, but the pigeon had clearly chosen its target. Ten years later, I found myself under attack from an aggressive pair of seagulls in my own yard. Resolving the situation involved running in high heels, calling emergency services, and being escorted by a random dog walker. And of course, there have also been encounters with geese, both in Finland and abroad, small birds on a glass balcony and a few more positive experiences with parrots.

Self-awareness builds confidence, which in turn helps you build your career whether as a leader, salesperson, or expert. By understanding your unique strengths, you can use them more effectively in different situations.

We “perform” in working life almost every day, in client meetings, team meetings, negotiations, trainings, and conversations with various stakeholders. Our impact in these interactions is built on self-awareness and confidence. These, in turn, support presence one of six drivers of human influence. The research-based Rhetorich CLAPPS model outlines these human elements: Credibility, Likeability, Authenticity, Presence, Persuasiveness, and Storytelling.

Your profile as a communicator and influencer is unique and that positive uniqueness is exactly what we at MySpeaker look for in our presentation coaching.

Step forward and be seen with confidence. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, I encourage you to be yourself – because everyone else is already taken.

Laura Vaniala,

Head of Commercial

My Speaker