How do I inspire a good man who lacks confidence in himself?
A straight frontal attack—“Come on, boy, pull yourself together. Stop going around here like a mollycoddle. Be more assertive.”—won’t work. This guy will say, “Yeah, my wife tells me the same thing.” He may be more confident for a week or so, but then he’s worse than before.
First, make sure that this man is capable. Then, assuming he is a man of ability, approach him on this basis: …
~ Mortimer R. Feinberg, Ph.D., Effective Psychology For Mangers, (1965)