A few recent conversations with founders have brought a thought to my attention – Trust Yourself And Your Ability To Adapt.

I am noticing one of the most common issues with early stage founders, or people who are making the leap from employee to owner, is their lack of confidence in themselves.

Who am I to be CEO?

What if I fail?

I am not sure what I am really doing?

What if others find out I don’t know what I am doing?

News flash, we already know, because we also have no idea what we are doing.  The little secret no one wants to talk about is that we all are winging it, trying our hardest to fool others into thinking we know what we are doing all the while running around asking ourself “what the hell am I doing?”

Ok, so it’s a fools game.

If so, how do you win?

You need to actually fool yourself into thinking you know what you are doing.   You need to trust yourself, trusting your ability to adapt and make adjustments in real-time.  This requires confidence.  Maybe even a little stubbornness as well since you will often be finding yourself up against some hard places.

Confidence is achieved by quieting the inner voice you hear telling you things like “you can’t do that” and “who am I to think I can….” and replacing it with a calmness that accepts whatever result that inevitably comes your way.  Confidence is not caring what actually happens because you are at least doing something.

But if you lack confidence in yourself and doubt you are the right person to start your company, all is for not,  Nothing and no one will make up the difference if you lack faith in yourself and what is possible.

Get out of your own way by trusting you can make things happen, and by knowing deep down you ARE ABLE to do it, and then take those first few steps.

Trust me, no one has the answer to your problems and challenges.  Only you do.