EP35: Crafting Confidence: Empowering Women Lead with Selena Rezvani

In this engaging conversation on the Career Thrivers Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Selena Rezvani, an accomplished author and expert in women's leadership. Selena Rezvani is a highly regarded author, speaker, and consultant known for her expertise in leadership and workplace culture. She has coached and spoken at prestigious institutions like Microsoft, Harvard University, and the Society of Women Engineers, offering invaluable insights into inclusion strategies and leadership development. She is also the author of several books, including the instant Wall Street Journal bestseller "Quick Confidence" and the award-winning "Pushback: How Smart Women Ask — and Stand Up — for What They Want."

We dove deep into the fascinating world of confidence and self-doubt where she shows us how self-doubt isn't something we simply outgrow; it's a universal experience that visits us all, regardless of our background. Selena's advice? Instead of battling self-doubt, we should learn to expect it and navigate through it gracefully, especially when we're stepping out of our comfort zones. She highlights the importance of cultivating self-trust, recognizing our own value, and fostering a growth mindset to build enduring confidence.

Selena also touched on the role of culture and upbringing in shaping our sense of competence, offering valuable guidance on how parents can nurture confidence in their children, particularly girls, by instilling the belief that everything is figure-outable and encouraging them to see challenges as opportunities for growth. But perhaps the most powerful message Selena leaves us with is the idea of tenacity. She shared a personal story about a missed opportunity that eventually led to a successful collaboration - a reminder that even in the face of self-doubt and setbacks, being tenacious and willing to revisit opportunities with a fresh perspective can lead to great outcomes.

So, whether you're navigating the corporate world or pursuing entrepreneurial dreams, remember that confidence is a journey—one that involves embracing doubt and continuously seeking new opportunities for growth.

KEY POINTS:

- The complex world of confidence and self-doubt

- How self-doubt is a universal experience, and not something we outgrow

- Ways to gracefully navigate self-doubt and step out of your comfort zone.

- Cultivating self-trust, recognizing your value, and fostering a growth mindset to build lasting confidence

- How culture and upbringing can influence our perception of competence

- Selena’ss guidance on parenting to cultivate confidence in children, particularly girls

- The power of tenacity and how revisiting opportunities with a fresh perspective can lead to success

- Actionable insights into building enduring confidence

QUOTABLES:

"Get comfortable describing yourself as tenacious.” - Selena Rezvani

“One of the differences between confident people and not confident people is they really look for their signature strengths.” - Selena Rezvani