That matters for organisations as much as it does for individuals. When people lack confidence at work, they hold back, stay quiet and hesitate to contribute. Ideas go unspoken and talent gets overlooked. When confidence grows, people communicate more clearly, step forward more readily and have greater impact.

Penny Haslam has built her career helping individuals communicate with clarity, confidence and impact, working with leaders and emerging leaders who want to be heard, recognised and trusted in their organisations.

Her belief that confidence in leadership is a strategic workplace skill is backed by research with Northumbria University, which found that confidence can be taught and that the benefits last beyond the session itself.

She recently delivered a session as part of our Empower women in business programme, working directly with individuals on how to build confidence in leadership and communicate more effectively in professional environments.

One point stood out. Confidence is often misunderstood.

Many people believe confidence is something you either have or you do not. In reality, it is built through behaviour, repetition and experience. Without that understanding, people hold back, wait for the right moment or assume they are not ready.

Building confidence in leadership through action

Waiting to feel confident before taking action is one of the biggest barriers to progression. The reality is the opposite. Confidence grows as a result of stepping forward, contributing and putting yourself in situations where you are visible.

This requires a shift in mindset, from waiting for certainty to being willing to take action even when things feel uncomfortable.

Over time, that builds not only confidence but credibility.

For Penny, confidence is not about becoming louder or more extroverted. It is about helping people contribute, speak up, handle challenges and show up with greater impact at work.

That has wider consequences than people sometimes realise. In the workplace, confidence shapes how clearly people communicate, whether they share ideas and how ready they feel to take on greater responsibility. When confidence grows, people do not just feel better, they also act differently. They contribute more and organisations are better for it.

Your voice matters more than you think

Many individuals underestimate the value of their perspective, choosing not to speak up in meetings or contribute ideas because they doubt whether what they have to say is relevant or valuable.

Strong leaders recognise that visibility matters. Being heard, contributing and sharing ideas are all critical to building influence and advancing your career.

But this is not only about individual progression. When people find their voice, teams benefit too. More ideas are shared, better conversations happen and people are more likely to challenge constructively and contribute to stronger decision making.

That is why Penny talks about confidence as a workplace skill rather than a personality trait. Confident teams help create more successful organisations.

Why this matters now

Organisations need confident, capable people who are willing to contribute, challenge and step into leadership roles. Without that confidence, potential is often left unrealised. Ideas go unspoken, talent stays hidden and organisations miss out on the full value of their people.

Building confidence in leadership is not about personality. It is about capability, communication and contribution. It affects progression, performance and the strength of teams.

That is exactly what we focus on through Empower, a women in business programme designed to build confidence, capability and leadership impact.