How thinking small gets in the way of big breaks

Mad mind-chatter can make us believe that we may not be qualified for a job when we are quite capable of tackling it—this mindset keeps us playing small. Why not aspire to something greater?

I was surprised by the stories of several senior leaders who admitted they didn’t want to put themselves in the running for that next powerful position early on in their careers. All too many women seem to feel like they need to have a great number of skills in place to make a move, while men need far fewer skills to say yes. You’ve probably heard of the internal review at Hewlett-Packard a few years back that showed women within the company applied for open jobs only if they met 100 percent of the criteria listed; men, on the other hand, felt they needed to meet 60 percent of the requirements.

Some women didn’t take on higher positions until they received encouragement. Cathy Kinney, former president and co–chief operating officer of the New York Stock Exchange, said it was her boss’s belief in her abilities that persuaded her to take a leap. After being in the job for a few months, she questioned why she ever doubted her ability to do it. With smarts and passion, she ran the trading floor of over eight hundred people.

Another woman leader at a major consumer goods company shared this story: “When I had been at the company for two years, a position several levels higher became available, and I was asked to recommend people for the job. It didn’t occur to me to put myself in the running. That night, the thought crossed my mind, Why not me? I submitted my name the next morning and got the job.”

Kathy Waller, chief financial officer of Coca-Cola, advises us to take action despite our fears. She says, “Believe that you will do whatever it takes to be successful, even if you have to take a class or reach out to someone with more experience who can help you get up to speed.”

If you aren’t feeling sure about stepping up (remember, our take on confidence includes feeling shaky but moving forward anyway), use your nervousness to your advantage. “Nervous energy can help pull the greatness out of you— it makes you overachieve,” says Jackie Hernández, COO of Telemundo. And as Debbie Storey, chief diversity officer of AT&T, put it, “My knees have been shaking my whole career.”

When considering bigger jobs, let your prospective boss be the judge of whether or not you’re right for a position— you owe it to yourself to take a smart risk. “People don’t walk into a job with all the tools they need,” Jackie reminds us.

Let’s bust the myth that “I don’t have the skills needed to take that job” and realize the truth: “What I don’t know I can learn or delegate.” Mobilize the support you need to take a bigger leap—pick one or two people you can call on for expertise and feedback, but also be your own mentor and ask yourself “Why not me?”

Confidence spark

When interviewing for an ambitious assignment, make a list of the skills you have, the skills you need to learn, and the tasks that can be delegated. Now address your fear of not being able to handle the situation, and see the truth as it is. You have several skills, and you can learn or delegate the rest. Breaking down the job into its various parts may also help. What daily tasks can you do right now? Which ones will you assign to someone else?