House of Leadership

House of Leadership

Share this post

House of Leadership
House of Leadership
I can do Hard Things
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

I can do Hard Things

Jun 08, 2023
∙ Paid
7

Share this post

House of Leadership
House of Leadership
I can do Hard Things
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Albert Bandura was a social-cognitive psychologist who introduced the theory of self-efficacy in the 1980s.

In a nutshell, self-efficacy is the belief in your own ability to achieve a certain outcome.

“I can do hard things”.

Leaders need high levels of self-efficacy. They must believe it can be done.

Levels of self-efficacy can also predict how disciplined you are with your habits and even how well you perform in your career.

a person holding a baseball bat
Photo by Norbert Braun on Unsplash

But affirmations are not enough.

Your mind sees through that and calls you out with a less compelling story.

So how do we build out self-efficacy muscles?

1/ Action - the biggest one by far is being intentional with your action. You have to put yourself out there and gain more experience.

Take action.

Being action biased means you move forward first.

If you’re stuck in a rut, stressed or lacking inspiration, action should be your tool.

Take the first step.

Make sure you turn up.


Free Weekly Newsletter Resource

The Boonly is a gift every Sunday for anyone craving a spark of wholesome curiosity, an antidote to "hustle culture", and the permission to rest, relax and enjoy your Sundays.

Subscribe now

We always deliver:
✅ Curiosity-sparking content
✅ Witty insights to nourish your mind
✅ Inspiring ideas for perfect Sundaying
✅ Refreshing perspectives on well-known concepts


2/ Hard stuff - I am by no means a great presenter or public speaker but I was asked to present on a topic to 50+ people.

This caused me a lot of discomfort and nerves.

My negative self-talk was strong.

I was well out of my comfort zone and had never done something like this before.

I stepped up and executed.

The presentation went very well, and it formed a watershed moment for me.

My confidence in presenting and public speaking rocketed after that.

man and woman sitting on chair in front of table
Photo by Jess Zoerb on Unsplash

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to House of Leadership to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 House of Leadership
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More