You Are A Dragon Slayer

Inventory Your Accomplishments To Buildyou've slain. Maybe it was the grade card you
Self-Confidencewere able to bring home from 8th grade... the
time you caught the touchdown pass... the
It's been my privilege to coach many of theapplause after a dance recital they said you'd
world's best and brightest young people over thenever be ready for... the day you landed this
last decade-plus, and one of the biggest issuesgreat job... the day your business made its first
they've presented has been that ofdollar. Remember: each of these "dragons" looked
self-confidence. Whether it's the young consultantjust as menacing and scary before you slayed it!
whose key client is twenty years his senior, orToo often, smart and talented people don't give
the talented singer who is sure she'll be "foundthemselves enough credit for their own
out" as an example of a mistake in the auditionaccomplishments... and they stop seeing
process, or the newly-promoted "high potential"themselves as capable of accomplishing great
person who hears criticisms behind his back thatthings. Many times I think it's because their
he's too young for the job, confidence has beenaccomplishments weren't as difficult for them as
like gold to these folks: precious, and hard to find.the same achievements would've been for
How's your confidence? Are you, too, awaitingsomeone else, so emotionally, the victory doesn't
with dread that moment when you're exposed as"count."
the imposter you think you might be? Do you feelSo inventory your dead dragons. Actually sit
limited in your attempts to do great things in thedown and write out a few stories, each no longer
world by your own sense of powerlessness? Is itthan several sentences, about some of those
as simple as being unable to easily assert youraccomplishments. Include in each story what
own point-of-view, merely because somethingmade the dragon scary at the outset, what you
deep inside you says you don't have the right?did, what obstacles you overcame, and how
It's hard to be an inspirational leader without autterly devastated you left the dragon at the end.
basic level of confidence.Perhaps the most typical finding on the part of
Here's your homework assignment... it's simplemy coachees who've conducted this exercise
(though that doesn't mean you won't strugglegoes something like this: "I am afraid of what I
with it) and powerful:don't know about this impending problem, but
Count the dead dragons lying behind you.problems always include uncertainties, and I am
You see, each of us occasionally finds himself in aactually a learning machine... by the time I need to
period of low self-confidence. Even your dad, orknow the stuff that'll solve this problem, I'll have
that superstar at work who makes everythinglearned it, if anyone can."
look easy, or that demanding customer... each ofYes, you are a dragon slayer. You tackle the
us, from time to time, inwardly entertains at leastworld's toughest stuff and make it look easy. You
a morsel of self-doubt. It's at such a time whendream, and then turn that dream into reality in
you'll feel like the knight of old, standing betweenthe face of withering criticism. You're powerful.
the castle and the fire-breathing dragon beforeYou are an entrepreneur in the world, creating
you. You have the armor. You have the shield,something out of nothing, and not a victim. You
and the sword. But what you may lack is enoughdon't call 9-1-1, you ARE 9-1-1.
of a feeling of evidence that you are likely to slaySo count up your dead dragons, and then use
the dragon, and not be its next charred snack.your revitalized confidence to start a business,
At that point, turn around and look behind you. Ifoverhaul your own health, launch a project, create
you're like most of my coachees over severala work of art, whatever.
years, you'll see the bodies of many dragonsI pity that next dragon.