#2: The Confidence Blueprint: How to Speak with Authority and Make Your Voice Heard

Welcome back to I Think You're Muted! In this powerful episode, Dr. Stephanie Dean dives deep into one of the most critical elements of leadership and communication: confidence. Whether you’re leading a meeting, giving a presentation, or simply sharing your thoughts with a colleague, confidence is the key to making your voice heard and your impact felt.

What You’ll Learn:

• Redefining Confidence: Understand that confidence isn’t about never having doubts or knowing everything. It’s about the willingness to take action despite uncertainty and trusting that your voice matters.
• The Three Pillars of Confidence:
  • Preparation: Learn why thorough preparation is your foundation for confidence and how to leverage your strengths to contribute meaningfully.
  • Mindset: Discover how to cultivate a resilient mindset that views challenges and failures as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
  • Action: Understand how taking small, consistent actions builds confidence over time, creating a positive cycle where action fuels confidence, and confidence drives further action.
• Practical Strategies:
  • Micro-Practices: Start small by speaking up in low-stakes situations and gradually building your confidence muscle.
  • Visualization: Use the power of mental rehearsal to visualize success and reduce anxiety before important conversations or presentations.
  • Reframing Failure: Learn to see failure not as a reflection of your worth, but as a crucial part of the learning process that strengthens your confidence.

Key Quotes:

• "Confidence isn’t about being fearless—it’s about being willing. Willing to try, willing to fail, and willing to grow."
• "A confident mindset isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being resilient and knowing you belong in the conversation."
• "Confidence grows through action. The more you practice speaking up, the more confident you become."

Free Resource:

• Meeting Prep Workbook: Need a confidence boost before your next meeting? Download the FREE Meeting Prep Workbook at corvididesign.com/meeting to help you organize your thoughts and contribute with clarity and authority.

Action Step:

• This week, Dr. Dean challenges you to choose one of the confidence-building strategies discussed and put it into practice. Whether it’s speaking up in a meeting or visualizing your success, commit to taking that step and watch your confidence grow.

Next Episode: In the next episode, we’ll explore how to make an instant impact in meetings—how to ensure that when you do speak up, it counts. Don’t miss it!

Connect with Dr. Stephanie Dean:

• Website: https://www.corvididesign.com 
• Instagram: @drstephaniedean

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Thank you for tuning in! Remember, your voice is powerful, and the world needs to hear it.