CONFIDENCE

THE SIMPLE NEWSLETTER - ISSUE # 032

Over the years, I’ve noticed something: most struggles with confidence in business have very little to do with actual ability — and everything to do with misunderstanding what confidence really is. I’ve spoken with seasoned entrepreneurs and “accidental CEOs” alike, and the patterns are the same. They hold back, overthink, or play small because they’ve picked up a definition of confidence that doesn’t match reality. That misunderstanding quietly shapes how they lead, make decisions, and take risks — often to their own disadvantage.

TOM'S THOUGHTS

The word confidence comes from the Latin confidere — “to trust fully.” Originally, it was about trusting someone or something else. Over time, the meaning shifted inward to include trusting yourself.

I studied Latin for four years in high school, and while reflecting on confidence recently, I thought about the root of the word. That connection opened my eyes even further to what confidence truly means — and why I’m choosing to discuss it here. My goal is to impart a simple but powerful understanding that can help you as a business owner or “accidental CEO” rethink how you approach it.

Some think confidence means never feeling fear. Others think it’s a trait you’re born with, or that it requires knowing all the answers. None of those are true. In reality, confidence is the willingness to move forward despite fear, uncertainty, or risk — a skill that grows through action, not a gift handed out at birth.

When we misunderstand this, we treat confidence like a magic state we must have before we act, rather than the outcome of taking action. This misunderstanding keeps talented people sitting on the sidelines, waiting for a feeling that only shows up once they’re already in motion.

TOM'S LESSONS

Lesson 1: Fear doesn’t cancel out confidence — it proves it exists.

If you wait until you’re fearless, you’ll wait forever. True confidence shows up when you act while feeling fear, because you trust your ability to handle what comes next.

Lesson 2: Confidence isn’t born, it’s built.

Every time you take action, learn something, and recover from a setback, you put another “brick” in your foundation of self-trust. You don’t need to be born with confidence; you can stack it piece by piece.

Lesson 3: You don’t need all the answers, just the ability to figure them out.

Confidence isn’t about perfect knowledge — it’s about trusting your resourcefulness. The most effective leaders aren’t the ones who know everything; they’re the ones who can adapt quickly.

Lesson 4: Action creates confidence, not the other way around.

That first client call, that first pitch, that first uncomfortable decision — each one builds the muscle. If you wait for confidence to “arrive,” you’ll stay in planning mode forever.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If you’ve been holding back because you’re waiting to “feel confident” first, consider this your permission to stop waiting. Confidence is not a prerequisite for taking the leap — it’s the result. The root of the word tells us exactly what it’s meant to be: trust. Not trust that everything will go perfectly, but trust that you can face whatever happens next.

The fastest way to grow it is to move, act, and learn. Your confidence will catch up with you — but only if you give it something to follow.

- Tom

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