When you start your career, it comes from knowing what to do; from repetition, mastery, and control.
Then everything changes: the challenges get new, the job description evolves, and suddenly your old source of confidence no longer works.

In a world that changes faster than any job description, you’re left asking yourself: What do I know? What comes next?

That’s when confidence needs to evolve - from knowing answers to trusting your ability to find them.

Because real confidence, like real leadership, isn’t about certainty. It's about direction.
It’s not “I know everything.”
It’s “I’ll figure it out.”

You don’t need all the answers.
You just need the courage to keep moving forward.

Why do new managers lose confidence when they step up?

Because their old source of confidence stops working.

As a specialist, you felt confident because you knew your job inside out.
You had experience. Repetition gave you certainty. You mastered your craft and that mastery felt safe. Logical, isn't it?

But the moment you become a manager, everything changes.
Now you’re facing new situations every day. No manual to follow.

And as if stepping into a leadership role wasn’t hard enough on its own, many new managers add another layer of pressure:
the belief that now they have to know everything.

The moment someone knocks on their door with a question, they feel an obligation to have the perfect answer.

And that’s when many new leaders start doubting themselves. They confuse not knowing with not being good enough.

Why does this shift in confidence matter for new managers?

Because your team feels what you feel.

If you lead from insecurity, they’ll mirror it.
If you lead from curiosity and calm confidence, they’ll mirror that too.

You see, there's a very simple loop; confidence creates safety.
And safety creates performance. And performance again directly impacts confidence. 

When you stop pretending to know everything and start showing your team how you think, you model what real leadership looks like. Grounded, adaptable, and - most of all - human.

How can new managers evolve their confidence?

By shifting from results to reasoning — from “I’ve done this before” to “I know how to approach this.”

Here’s how to make that shift:

1. Separate knowledge from judgment

You need to trust your thinking.
When faced with something new, ask: What do I know for sure, and what can I figure out next?
That mindset creates momentum instead of paralysis.

2. Use my HOUSE^TM model

In this model, confidence sits on the roof, supported by four essential parts. 
Without clarity at the base, the structure collapses.
If you don’t know why you’re doing something, or where you need to go, no amount of competence will make you feel confident.

3. Dare & Care

Confidence grows when courage meets empathy. Dare to decide, even if you’re uncertain.
Care to listen, even when you disagree. And listen to understand.

That balance not only earns you respect, but also trust.

4. Redefine “experience”

You can view experience as how many times you’ve done something. But this is the time to 
look at it as how many times you’ve reflected on what you’ve done.
Because reflection turns repetition into reasoning.

According to Gallup, managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement across teams, making leadership confidence one of the most critical drivers of workplace performance.
(Source: Gallup – Why Great Managers Are So Rare )

5. Self-coach in real time

When doubt appears, ask: If I trusted myself right now, what would I do first?
That single question builds self-trust faster than any motivational quote.

Remember the situations where you faced something new. Search for the pattern in how you approached it.    

What does real confidence look like in reality?

In my last corporate adventure, I was hired to manage and dispose of the real estate portfolio of a wind-down entity. And let me be blunt: nothing like that had ever been done in our country.

The market shifted.
The structure of the portfolio was unique and grew to be the 3rd largest real estate portfolio in the country (after the State and the Church).
The entire business had to transform from a financial institution into an asset-resolution company.
New processes, new roles, new expectations. Everything from scratch.

During the interviews, someone asked me:
“Do you think you’ll be able to do this?”

And I said, “Yes. I do.”

Not because I was arrogant, but because I trusted the way I work.
Throughout my career, I’d built a personal framework without even realizing it: a stack of experiences showing me that every time I face something new, I approach it the same way.

First, I understand where we are: the real situation, not the story.
Then I clarify where we need to go: the direction, the outcome, the purpose.
And then I make sure we move: by learning, trying, adjusting, adapting until we get there.

My stack of experience was enough to trust that I could again organize, hire, empower, and execute.

That’s how I knew I could do the job. Because my process was familiar.

What are the key takeaways for first-time leaders?

• Confidence evolves the moment you stop relying on what you’ve done and start trusting how you think.

• You don’t need all the answers, you need a process you can trust.

• Your calm is more valuable than your certainty.

• Reflection builds leadership faster than experience alone.

• Real confidence begins when you stop proving yourself.

FAQ

How do I stay confident when I’m unsure what to do?

Focus on clarity, not certainty. Confidence grows when you know your process, not your outcome.

What if my team expects me to know everything?

Tell them: “I don’t know yet, but I'll make sure we'll figure it out." 

How do I recover confidence after making a mistake?

Name it. Own it. Learn from it. And don't hide it.  That's transparency and it builds a safe environment. Self-trust grows faster when you stop hiding from imperfection. 

How do I know I’m becoming a confident leader?

When you stop needing to prove yourself. Read that again. That is usually the moment when you start helping others believe in themselves.

Final thought:

Real confidence — just like real leadership — is built in uncertainty.
You don’t need all the answers. You can't have all the answers and there's no point in trying. 
You just need the courage, clarity, and reasoning to find them.

If you're a new manager, I invite you to watch my free workshop. I promise it will help you with your confidence:) Just click the link below!