I found this great article on themuse.com by Jeff Haden of Inc. that talks about how to show you’re the most confident person in the room (even if you feel like you’re not.)

His tips are terrific and a great way to consider how confident people act.

The cliff notes of the tips:

1. Listen Way More than you Speak
2. Shine the Spotlight on other people
3. Frequently ask for help
4. Never put other people down
5. Own your mistakes
6. Burn off some anti-confidence chemicals
7. Avoid qualifiers
8. Be the one who volunteers

Here’s a snippet of the article and s 1 and 2, then go read the rest on themuse.com.

If you’re like me, you often come across as confident, but inside you’re far from it.

Actually, if you’re like me, you’re situationally confident: sometimes, very much so; other times, not at all. So, you spend a lot of time thinking about how to gain confidence, and in the short term how to at least appear confident, even when you’re not.

While genuine confidence takes time to develop (because genuine confidence is based on incremental, steady success), according to Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of HubSpot, there are definitely ways you can seem confident—which is the next best thing.

Here are some of his tips:

1. Listen Way More Than You Speak

Talking a lot is a mask for insecurity. When you’re nervous and insecure, it’s easy to rush to fill any silence with words. (And later you often can’t even remember what you said.)

To seem more confident, ask open-ended questions that give other people the freedom to be thoughtful and introspective: Ask what they do, how they do it, what they like about it, what they’ve learned from it, and what you should do if you find yourself in a similar situation.

When you’re really nervous and aren’t sure what to say, ask for advice. Implicit in the question is your respect for that person, and his or her opinion. (Otherwise, why would you have asked?)

2. Shine the Spotlight on Other People

Maybe you really did most of the work. Maybe you really did overcome major obstacles. Maybe you really did turn an eclectic mix of people into an incredibly high-performing team.

Maybe you really do deserve all the glory. But don’t seek it. Shine the spotlight on other people.

Confident people don’t care about accolades. (Inside they’re proud, as well they should be.) Confident people don’t need the glory; they know what they’ve achieved.

They don’t need the validation of others, because true validation comes from within.

So stand back and celebrate your accomplishments through others. Stand back and let others shine—that’s a confidence boost that helps those people become confident too.

When you do, other people won’t think you’re shy or lacking in confidence. They’ll think you’re a lot more confident than you are, simply because you don’t need the praise.

And they’ll respect you for it too—which will only build your confidence.

Read the rest of the article at  8 Moves That’ll Make People Think You’re the Most Confident Person in the Room

What are your tips for feeling, appearing confident? Share below in the comments!

featured image on pixabay