Guest Opinion: Conquering the first
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Bivens |
Glennda Bivens moderated a May 6 panel of experts focusing on building confidence and overcoming fear at different stages of success. She and Jennifer Chittenden, director of the Downtown Des Moines Chamber, wished to share it with Lift IOWA readers.
“You have to build up the courage to take that first step.”
Wise words from Wade Steenhoek, a lecturer at the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurship Center, at a recent Downtown Chamber Leadership Education and Advancement Pipeline (LEAP) program focused on building confidence and overcoming fear. “It is tough at first,” he continued, “but once you do it, you realize you could do it all along, and you can then move forward.”
Steenhoek spoke about the process experienced by participants at the University of Iowa Venture School, who are challenged to vet their ideas by scheduling dozens of meetings. He built on his comments by acknowledging
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Chittenden |
that by the time participants get to their 10th, 20th and 30th meeting, they have a deeper understanding of their project and can communicate with others with ease and confidence about their plans.
But moving past your fear to take that first step is critical. Trying something new can be daunting because of our fear of the unknown.
Sometimes we wrestle with questions of whether we are qualified or fear backlash or negative consequences of our actions. Some of the common questions we ask ourselves:
How will people respond to me occupying this position? Am I qualified to complete the task?
This position holds a lot of responsibility — am I sure I want to take this on?
I have never negotiated my salary before — what if I make myself look foolish in front of my supervisor?
Relax. I was once told, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.”
Experiencing fear is normal when you are moving ahead in your career. When you notice that you are doubting your abilities and qualifications, remind yourself of the obstacles you already have overcome.
One important place to document your skills, qualifications and abilities is on your resume. We recommend updating your resume twice a month to capture the essence of your experiences.
In addition to having a written document that highlights your qualifications, talk to someone you trust — a mentor or career coach — to help you walk into your new role with confidence.
Take a moment to consider a fear you have that is holding you back. It could be common fears, like presenting in front of a group, professional fears of joining a board or saying “yes” to a board chair position, or even personal worries of taking time off to go on vacation and fearing what might happen while you are gone. Ask yourself, are any of my fears holding me back?
Identify those fears. Then, plan and commit to address each fear head-on with a first step.
Glennda M. Bivens is a community development field specialist whose work focuses on building successful community partnerships, increasing and supporting minority entrepreneurship, and providing culturally relevant professional development opportunities around issues of equity. Bivens has a master’s degree in educational leadership, a graduate certificate in applied research methods in the human sciences, and is pursuing her doctorate in education from Iowa State University. Connect with Bivens on LinkedIn.
Jennifer Chittenden is executive director of the Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from the inaugural West Des Moines Leadership Institute class and was named a Business Record Forty Under 40 in 2014. She can be reached via LinkedIn or email.
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