EP27: The three confidence tiers that will help you be more confident

In this episode, Advita Patel explores the concept of the confidence stack, a framework that helps individuals and organisations understand how confidence operates across different layers.

She emphasises that confidence is not solely an individual trait but is deeply interconnected with organisational culture and team dynamics.

• The three tiers of the confidence stack: inner self, shared culture, organisational environment
• Why individual confidence alone isn't enough to foster real psychological safety
• The importance of trust, belonging, and systemic support in building confidence
• How organisational policies can be performative without genuine cultural change
• Practical habits to support confidence development at each tier: boldness, vulnerability, empathy, integrity, learning, energy, and empowerment
• The sequential nature of the confidence stack and why self-awareness is foundational
• Recognising signals and signs to adapt and build confidence intentionally

• 0:00 — Opening question about preparing for a meeting and freezing under pressure
• 0:27 — Confidence coaching, confidence as a skill
• 0:54 — What happens when the organization doesn’t help create safety
• 1:20 — Intro to the episode: what confidence looks like at work
• 2:03 — Introduction to the confidence stack
• 2:23 — Training, workshops, and personality assessments
• 3:03 — Why inner work alone isn’t enough
• 3:29 — Workplace disengagement and not feeling safe to speak up
• 4:20 — Why environment matters for confidence
• 4:47 — Tier 1: inner confidence and self-belief
• 5:16 — Tier 2: shared confidence, trust, and belonging
• 5:42 — Speaking up against power and building safe culture
• 6:08 — Tier 3: organizational culture and systems
• 6:36 — Why policies can be performative without accountability
• 7:01 — What this means in real life
• 7:17 — Belief habits vs traits
• 7:41 — Confidence isn’t fixed; it must be adapted
• 8:21 — Boldness and vulnerability at the inner tier
• 9:11 — Checking when and why you hold back in meetings
• 9:37 — Empathy and integrity at the shared tier
• 10:26 — Organizational systems and bias
• 11:23 — Recap: confidence isn’t just individual responsibility
• 11:51 — Inner work is important, but not everything
• 12:06 — Toxic culture and deciding whether a team helps you succeed
• 13:08 — Confidence takes time, habits, and energy
• 13:37 — Final recap and call for listener thoughts
• 14:02 — Mention of previous episodes and the book
• 14:27 — Outro and ask to share/review

• Decoding Confidence: The Seven Habits of Confident Leaders 
• Advita Patel's Website
• Follow Advita on LinkedIn
• How we can support you
• Coaching with Advita
• Radical Candour Study