Inspired Confidence Coaching Blog

You've led people under fire. You've made decisions when failure meant lives lost. You've operated in environments where mistakes weren't hypothetical—they were catastrophic. So why does that voice in your head tell you you're not qualified to lead a corporate team? That voice—the one that says you're not good enough, that questions every decision, that replays your mistakes on loop—isn't unique to you. Research from MIT Sloan confirms what you probably already suspect: leaders across all career stages, cultural backgrounds, and industries deal with their inner critic . It's not a sign that you don't belong in leadership. It's evidence that you're human. The Data on Inner Critics: Universal but Not Inevitable A 2023 study of over 1,200 women in the workplace found that 53% identified confidence and self-doubt as their biggest career challenge. The majority reported that their harsh inner critic was the primary factor...

  After four years in the Army National Guard and additional service as an Army Ranger and military intelligence officer , U.S. Army veteran Akili King 's transition out of the military left him searching for a new purpose. He tried manufacturing. It paid the bills. But he knew his calling was elsewhere. When he found coaching—specifically, becoming a character-based sports coach—he discovered what he'd been looking for: a way to channel his military leadership experience into meaningful civilian impact. Research published in Psychological Science suggests that people who feel they have a sense of purpose tend to live longer, healthier lives. Other studies show that lack of purpose or fulfillment in a career can lead to low engagement, a common reason employees leave roles within their first year.  For veterans , the purpose challenge isn't lack of capability—it's translating military mission into civilian meaning.  That's exactly what coaching addresses. The Pu...