Does your stomach drop the moment you find out that you have to give a presentation? In school, at work or outside the office, many people feel a distinct lack of confidence when they're in the spotlight. It's a nerve-wracking experience, but Claire Shipman says there's a simple way around it.
The co-author of The Confidence Code, Shipman tells #OWNSHOW that women are more like to feel unsure of themselves when the focus is solely on them -- and there's actually a scientific reason why.
"Study after study shows that women really value working on behalf of other people, on behalf of the team or company," she says in the above video. "That's a value set we bring with us into the workplace."
Giving a presentation and being the center of attention, therefore, conflicts with this specific set of values. The result is feeling that familiar lack of confidence that can throw you off course.
Citing research done by Ohio State psychologist Dr. Jennifer Crocker, Shipman shares how women can get over their nerves and shake the feeling that they're not up to the challenge.
"Shift the thinking that 'this is all about me'... to 'we,'" Shipman suggests. "Think about what you're doing for the team, for the colleagues, for the group, for the organization. That gives women a really natural source of confidence to tap into."
Also in the above video, Shipman discusses the difference between men and women when it comes to this concept, and also shares a specific example of how this mental shift has already had an impact on women's involvement in Washington.
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