What to Do When Uncertainty Shakes Your Confidence (and It Shows in Your Walk)

The meeting ends. People file out. And you… linger. Not dramatically, but just enough to avoid walking too fast, because let’s be honest—your stride doesn’t have the same snap it used to.

You used to move through rooms with quiet authority. A presence. A pace. Maybe even a touch of swagger. But lately? It’s more of a measured shuffle. Not because you’re unsure of the agenda. You’re unsure of you.

Something’s changed, and it’s not just internal. The uncertainty has crept into your body language, your timing, even your tone. You feel it. You’re pretty sure others do too. And because your role is high visibility, that shift feels like it’s under a microscope.

With the pace of life these days, the uncertainty seems unusually high and it’s feeling a little cramped under that microscope.

Here’s the good news: this doesn’t mean you’re unraveling. It means you’re in motion. And you don’t need to muscle your way back to who you were. You need to meet who you’re becoming.

Enter the Self-Authority Map. Part self-reflection, part identity recalibration, and thankfully, no team retreat required.

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Rebuilding Confidence with the Self-Authority Map

This tool helps you steady your sense of self when everything around—and inside—you feels a little off. It’s for those moments when your “executive presence” starts to feel more like “executive wondering-if-you-still-have-it.”

Think of it as a tune-up for your leadership GPS, minus the annoying voice saying “recalculating.”

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What You’ll Need

• Time: 2 to 4 hours upfront, then 15–20 minutes each week. Yes, this is worth putting on your calendar next to “budget review” and “remember to eat lunch.”

• Tools: Big paper and colorful markers (go full art therapy), or a digital tool like Miro or Notion.

• Mindset: Be honest. Be hopeful. Be willing to meet yourself where you are, even if you’re not walking like you used to.

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Step 1: Take an Identity Inventory

Grab a fresh sheet (or open a blank doc) and answer these:

1. What roles have I played in my career? (Yes, “Chief Firefighter” and “Department Therapist” count.)

2. What do I still know to be true about my value?

3. What questions am I starting to ask about myself?

4. What feedback—good or uncomfortable—has stayed with me?

Why This Matters:

When your presence dims, your instinct might be to either overcompensate or withdraw. This step helps you pause instead and reflect with clarity, not criticism.

Supporters: offer to listen. No advice, no fixing.

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Step 2: Map Your Self-Authority Zones

Draw three overlapping circles. Label them:

• Known Strengths

• Emerging Strengths

• Future Roles or Contributions

Start filling them in. Use sticky notes, markers, finger paints—whatever works.

Why This Matters:

This gives you a visual map of who you are becoming. When your internal compass is spinning, it’s grounding to see you’re still on the map and that the journey isn’t over, just changing routes.

Supporters: reflect what you see in their map. “You’re stronger than you realize” lands differently when it’s based on something visual and real.

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Step 3: Define Your New Meeting Signature

Ask yourself:

• What tone do I want to bring into the room? (Curious? Measured? Slightly less “please don’t look at me”?)

• What posture or pace supports that tone?

• What do I want to do in the space—ask better questions? Synthesize ideas? Just not fidget with my pen?

Then rehearse it. Mirror practice, voice memo, or pacing your kitchen floor with intent. Whatever makes it feel real.

Why This Matters:

Rehearsing isn’t about pretending. It’s about reconnecting. You’re training your presence to keep pace with your evolving identity.

Supporters: a quick, “You seemed grounded today” means more than you think. Bonus points if followed by snacks.

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Step 4: Start a Credibility Journal

Once a week, jot down three wins—small, real moments when you:

• Spoke clearly

• Shifted a conversation in a better direction

• Asked a strong, catalytic question

• Recovered from a stumble with humor and grace (or just grace, if humor failed)

Why This Matters:

Your brain is wired to remember the awkward stuff. This resets the tape by recording what actually happened, not just what insecurity wants you to believe.

Pro tip: keep it in your notes app or scribble it on a sticky. This doesn’t have to be “dear diary”—just honest data.

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Step 5: Check In with Yourself (Every Two Weeks)

Look back at your Self-Authority Map. Ask:

• What’s moved from “emerging” to “known”?

• What’s surfacing that surprises me?

• What story about myself no longer feels true?

No need for perfection. If your map is messy, congratulations. You’re alive and evolving.

Why This Matters:

This reflection moves you from reacting to choosing. You’re not chasing who you used to be. You’re noticing who you’re becoming and owning it.

Supporters: this is a great time to say, “Look how far you’ve come,” then sit in companionable silence and pass the good snacks.

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Final Thought

When your walk turns into a shuffle, your voice softens, or your presence wavers, it doesn’t mean you’re falling apart. It means you’re in the middle of something real. And real leaders feel it.

You don’t need to hide that. You need a way to understand it.

The Self-Authority Map is that way. It doesn’t give you back your old presence. It helps you build a new one—one rooted in reflection, resilience, and truth.

And the best part? Once you know who you are becoming, your walk might just get its rhythm back. No performance needed.

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Want More Tools Like This?

This is just one of many leadership strategies I’ve designed for moments when your confidence wobbles—but your leadership is still needed. Visit Symphonic Strategies to download the full Self-Authority Map and explore more tools like it.