How to Be More Confident

How can executives build authentic confidence and overcome self-doubt—without losing clarity? Kip Knippel, President & CEO of KIP Search, joins Felicia Shakiba to share actionable strategies for navigating imposter syndrome, embracing risk, and leading with grounded confidence. Drawing on decades of executive leadership experience, Kip explains how mentorship, direct communication, and self-awareness help leaders—especially women in male-dominated environments—build resilience and executive presence. This episode explores how leadership maturity, disciplined decision making, and clear C-suite strategy shape confident leadership at the top. Kip breaks down how confidence is built through practice—not performance—and how organizations can cultivate cultures where leaders grow through trust, feedback, and accountability. The conversation highlights how business process automation and digital transformation support scale, but authentic leadership remains the decisive driver of value creation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Project Tease 02:56 The Nature of Confidence 06:02 Imposter Syndrome and Its Impact 08:51 Personal Experiences with Confidence 11:58 The Role of Confidence in Leadership 14:52 Practical Tips for Building Confidence 17:25 The Importance of Practice in Interviews 18:47 Gender Differences in Self-Criticism 19:38 Patterns in Executive Self-Perception 21:08 Coaching Women in Leadership 22:58 Diversity in Leadership Roles 25:01 Identifying Fake Confidence 26:30 The Impact of Gender on Communication 28:08 Women Judging Women 30:42 Overcoming Scarcity Mentality 31:41 Building Confidence Through Risk-Taking 34:05 The Role of Mentorship in Confidence Building — Subscribe to the LeaderbookAI Podcast (formerly CPO PLAYBOOK): https://leaderbook.ai/podcast Want to create 10x the value of your business or investments? Let’s talk: https://leaderbook.ai/contact