Self-Efficacy as a Basis for Success

Self-efficacy as a basis for success refers to your personal outlook, your confidence in your own abilities and possibilities. If you believe that your endeavors will succeed, and you are confident that success will eventually come your way, this has to do with your belief in yourself and your self-efficacy.

Self-efficacy is more than just putting yourself in an overly enthusiastic “You can do it!” mood where everything you do succeeds. If you lack the necessary self-efficacy, then you will also lack the foundation for success—your mindset and your self-perception.

Being Able to Implement What You Set Out to Do

Instead of believing in yourself, you doubt your abilities, and as a result, you don’t reach your goals. How strongly you believe that you can achieve something depends on your personality and past experiences. However, you can also improve your self-efficacy; it can be trained.

The concept of self-efficacy was developed around 40 years ago by psychologist Albert Bandura. His approach describes how one’s belief in their ability to successfully manage problems and challenges is formed. In other words, self-efficacy means successfully completing or executing something.

Bandura describes four different factors that create and grow self-efficacy:

1. Positive Experiences

Your self-efficacy is based on your past experiences, which form the foundation for developing more self-efficacy in the future. Your previous successes and positive experiences show you that you can achieve many things that you set your mind to. Above all, knowing that you have achieved your goals yourself is very empowering.

The greater your challenge was, the stronger the influence on your self-efficacy. Start with small steps and work on your positive experiences step by step.

2. Role Models

You don’t always have to experience success yourself to boost your self-efficacy. Role models who you resemble or compare yourself to can also have a positive effect on your self-efficacy.

When you see how your role model solved a problem that you also face, your belief in your ability to do the same increases. The more identification and similarity you have with your role model, the stronger the effect.

3. Encouragement

Let your environment support and empower you, as this backing is a driving force for more self-efficacy. If your environment encourages you and believes in you, then you will too.

This should happen in a positive and realistic way; otherwise, the effect can backfire.

4. Emotion Management

If you understand how you react in certain situations and manage to control these reactions better, you will be much closer to achieving greater self-efficacy.

If you feel a sense of discomfort when facing a challenge, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t succeed. Become aware of your reactions and control your emotions—for example, through deep breathing or success routines, as athletes repeatedly do. This will help you achieve more self-efficacy in the long run.

Author:

Matthias Hettl is known as an international management consultant. He trains and coaches board members, executives, and leaders. He has also held a professorship in management and has extensive leadership expertise. He has experience as a supervisory board member, CEO, and internationally as a consultant for the United Nations. As a renowned management and leadership expert, he is a sought-after speaker.

For more information visit: Hettl Consult