High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 731: The Truth About Confidence, and How to Stabilize It

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

Confidence isn't something you set and forget. It shifts depending on the situation you're in. You can feel powerful in one moment… and shaky in a tough conversation hours later.   In this episode, we unpack findings from our national Confidence Study, including: 70% of working Americans believe they'd earn more if they improved their confidence 75% say confidence propels you further than sheer intelligence Nearly 70% dwell on past mistakes and battle a harsh inner critic You'll learn a simple reset tool called the Truth Meter™ to stabilize your confidence in real time. Confidence isn't about never doubting yourself.   It's about knowing how to respond when doubt shows up.   Power Phrase: "Confidence isn't a soft skill,  it's a performance multiplier."    Tune in to strengthen your confidence when it matters most!   To download our full study report, visit: confidencestudy.com To Request a Free Breakthrough Call with a Mentally Strong Coach, visit: http://www.freementalbreakthroughcall.com/ To learn more about the Mentally Strong Institute, visit: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/ To learn about Dr. Cindra Kamphoff's speaking and coaching, visit: https://cindrakamphoff.com/ To follow Dr. Cindra on Instagram, visit: Cindra Kamphoff, PhD (@cindrakamphoff) • Instagram photos and videos

Hi, Dr. Cinder Campoff here. Myself and my team just conducted this national research study on confidence that you have to check out. The report which you can download at Confidencestudy.com shows research-backed ways you can grow your confidence. What leaders do to both kill and grow confidence and how confidence is not just a personal issue, but an organizational issue. I'm telling you, you've got to check this out. It's a game changer. You can find our full report at Confidencestudy.com. Time to check in with Cinder Campoff today, and today we talk a little bit about confidence and the truth about confidence and how to stabilize confidence.

Cinder, start us with a quote. This is a quote from our research paper, and it says confidence is the silent driver behind performance, innovation, and retention. Now, confidence is one of those things that we kind of assume that we either have or we don't have. But your national confidence research says that that's not exactly how it works. What did you discover? We found Lisa that one of the most important finding from our national research study is that confidence is not something you can set and forget. It's gifts and slides depending on the situation you're in and the role you're playing. And people feel that really the difference, right, when you're confident or when you're not.

And in fact, 70% of working Americans told us that they believe they'd earn more money if they improved their confidence. And even more striking, 75% believe confidence propels you further in life than sheer smart. That's a pretty big statement. Confidence over intelligence. Yes, exactly. That really is. And that's what, you know, why confidence is really the catalyst. And it helps people speak up, take action and follow through.

But here's the cat, Lisa, that confidence isn't consistent. You know, you can feel rock solid in one moment and shaky in the next, even on the same day. So can you give us an example of that? Sure. So think about this. Like, let's say you nail a big presentation and you're clear, you're confident, you're on point. And then later that day, you receive critical feedback or you have to navigate conflict with someone else.

And suddenly you're second-guessing everything. And our research showed that people experience their lowest confidence during negative interactions. So things like arguments, tough conversations, moments of tension. So it's not the stress that causes confidence to dip that's really dealing with negativity and conflict. So what is exactly happening internally when our confidence drops? That's a great question. I would say, you know, a lot of it has to come to really what's going on in our own heads. Our study found that 70% of working Americans told us they dwell on past the state

and wrestle with a harsh inner critic. And I like to say that it's like trying to, you know, run away. So race with heavy weights strapped onto your ankles. So it's really difficult. So like negative self-talk overthinking, even rumination doesn't just make you feel bad, but it really slows you down and it keeps you from performing at your best. And that inner voice isn't the only issue. Exactly.

You know, we found 62% of people reported struggling with stealing like they're not enough. And 63% said they'd, you know, frequently compare themselves to others. And this comparison culture just tips the way at our self-worth. And self-worth matters because it impacts how we make decisions, you know, how creative we are, how resilient we are, and ultimately the impact that we can make. So when confidence is self-worth or roads, be said innovation stalls and forward momentum really flows down, that's where we need to address it.

Well, so, Sandra, how are we supposed to stop that spiral that happens when it starts? I would say, you know, one practical tool that we teach is called the truth meter. And so this is what you can do when your confidence dip. And I would say just pause and ask yourself a series of three questions. That's what the truth meter really is.

The first question is, is this not true? second question is just thought serving me. Third question is what is a more empowering thought I could choose right now? You know, and most of the time, Lisa, you know, our inner critic just exaggerate. It jumps to conclusions. It focuses on what could go wrong. And so the truth leader just really helps you take a reality check, quiet, that noise, and they focus on what truly matter than what's actually true within your control.

That sounds like a pretty powerful reset. Yeah, absolutely. And I say confidence isn't about never doubting yourself. It's about, you know, knowing how you want to respond and then that's doing the doubt shows up. And when you learn to really stabilize that confidence across lots of different situations, you know, you don't just perform better, but you feel better too. This is a great perspective for us. Any final reflection for listeners? I would say, Lisa, you know, there's a great question I would encourage people to sit with.

And I would say, you know, how aware are you of how your own confidence fluctuate? and what are you doing to strengthen your confidence when it matters most? Because confidence is a skill and a habit, and just like any skill, it can be trained. That's an important reminder. So what is this week's power phrase for us? Confidence isn't a soft skill. It's a performance multiplier. Now, Cinder, if people want to read more about things like this or your teachings or you're speaking, what do they need to do.

Where do we go? You can head over to Dr.C-I-N-D-R-A.com. and you can find our confidence report at the top of the page, along with our speaking and coaching there as well. Way to go for finishing another episode of the high performance mindset. I'm giving you a virtual fist pump. Holy cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else? If you want more, remember to subscribe.

And you can head over to Dr. Sindra for show notes and enjoy my exclusive community for high performers, where you get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can add over to Dr. Sindra. C-R-C-I-N-D-R-C-I-N-D-R-A.com. See you next week.