Holding that thought? It might be holding you back.

Welcome to your Confidence Catalyst Newsletter - helping you speak up, step up, and stand out.

This edition, I want to focus on something that quietly chips away at confidence, authenticity, and leadership presence: Not speaking up.

It happens more often than we realise, we rush from one meeting to the next, unsure what we even want to say. We worry our point isn’t clear enough, smart enough, or that others will judge us. So, we hold back.

The problem is…..

Every time we silence ourselves, we lose a little piece of who we are. It becomes harder to lead authentically if we’re not expressing what we truly think or feel.

Our brilliant perspectives and ideas are not heard.

Then you find yourself listening to someone else being congratulated for what you resisted saying!  You’re not alone if you’ve ever sat in a meeting and thought “I was going to say that”  Let’s explore how to shift this, through our three familiar lenses:

 Mindset - From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust The fear of saying the ‘wrong thing’ or not being understood can make us freeze or overthink. But your voice matters, not only because of the content, but because it’s yours.

You don’t need to be perfect to speak up - you need to be present. 

Ever been on one of those never-ending conference calls where your mind drifts for a moment, you catch part of a conversation, feel a strong opinion bubbling up… but because you didn’t hear the full context, you stay silent? That’s the importance of presence.

 Behaviour - Create Time to Prepare and Clarify When we’re always running from one thing to the next, it can be hard to think clearly, let alone speak clearly. 

You don’t need to contribute to everything, thinking ahead about the big discussions and your position on them makes things easier for you.

Start carving out time, even just 5 minutes before a meeting to think about:

 🧘 What's your position on the big topics?

 ✍️ What you would like to contribute

❓ Questions you’d like to ask

💡 Ideas you’ve been sitting on

 Speaking up doesn’t need to be spontaneous to be powerful; preparation gives you clarity and confidence. Lack of it is one of the most common reasons for not speaking up.

 Compassion - Progress, Not Perfection Speaking up can feel vulnerable, especially if you’ve been holding back for a long time.

So go gently. You don’t need to get it right every time. Celebrate the act of speaking up , not just how it landed.

💛 If it came out awkwardly, you still did it.

💛 If you forgot half of what you wanted to say, you still showed up.

💛 If your voice shook, that’s courage, not weakness.

And remember, every time you speak up, you strengthen your self-trust.

 So… what’s something you’ve been holding back from saying lately? What might shift if you gave that idea, opinion, or question your voice this week?

Hit reply and let me know, I’d love to hear.

Have a brilliant week, Kirsteen

 Need help finding your voice and using it with confidence? Book a one-off Confidence Catalyst session , we’ll uncover what’s holding you back and help you start showing up with clarity and conviction. 🎯 £175 for 60 minutes, book here

Not taken my Confidence Quiz yet? It takes 90 seconds and gives you tailored insights to help you build unshakeable confidence. 👉 Take the quiz here