Today I’d like to share the story behind the Complete Confidence Lab – a program that I designed out of both necessity and passion. You see, over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of incredibly talented women. Yet despite their talents and achievements, I noticed a recurring theme – they were constantly overworking and underachieving.

Why was this happening? Because these successful professionals didn’t believe they were good enough. They were caught in a relentless cycle of striving to improve. This meant they worked harder and with much more diligence than their peers. Yet still they felt inadequate and driven to improve. They were running on a treadmill of doubt, fuelled by the belief that if they just worked a little harder, they would finally be good enough.

But here’s the truth: working harder wasn’t the solution. It was a coping mechanism. Sure, trying to ‘fix’ themselves made these women feel better temporarily, but the buzz of success never lasted. Their self-doubt always returned and the treadmill journey continued. So, I decided to take action. I did a behavioural modelling study, using techniques from Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). And I didn’t focus on women who suffered from Imposter Syndrome. Instead, I interviewed those who radiated self-assurance.

My aim was simple: to understand what these women did differently. My findings were fascinating. Three main patterns emerged. Firstly, genuinely confident women directed their attention towards themselves constructively and compassionately. This is how they developed the deep ‘self-acceptance’ that characterises true confidence.

Secondly, they were skilled solution-finders. For example, they used breakthrough thinking habits to confidently tackle problems. This meant they didn’t fear making mistakes or losing control. They genuinely believed they had the resources to handle any challenge. Lastly, all of these women showed strong behavioural flexibility. This freed them to adapt and thrive when faced with challenges, instead of feeling overwhelmed or defeated.

These findings became the foundation of the Complete Confidence Lab, which equips talented women to leave self-doubt behind and become bold, confident professionals. It runs for 21 days and includes interactive workshops, online resources and small group coaching sessions.

The Complete Confidence Lab is not just another self-help course – it’s a targeted and evidence-based coaching lab where you can unleash your full potential.  Join me in the next session and together, let’s build a world where confident women are the norm, not the exception.

This article was created by Eleanor Shakiba

Eleanor is a leadership trainer and success coach. Her mission is inspiring talented people to become leaders who make a difference.  Since discovering her passion for training and development, Eleanor has trained more than 60,000 people. She delivers face-to-face workshops for corporates, online masterclasses for leaders and Positive Psychology retreats for trainers, HR practitioners and leaders.