How Intentional Practice Builds Confidence and Leadership Presence

Since childhood, the story I told myself about who I was quietly worked against me, undermining me at every step.

I was the overweight little girl who felt invisible. I looked around and assumed everyone else was smarter, prettier, more talented. Better than me in all the ways I thought counted.

I never said it out loud, but I wanted to disappear.

My mom had other plans. She pushed me to try new things, even when I resisted. 

She enrolled me in swimming classes, also known as personal torture for someone plagued with constant self-loathing of my body.

Next came soccer. They didn’t even have a jersey that fit me. I was awful. Truly awful. I was not a natural athlete by any stretch.

Then I joined rec basketball. For the first time, being bigger actually helped a little. I definitely did not love it yet, but something shifted.

That small shift, that single glimpse of possibility changed everything.

The Dirt Driveway That Changed My Life

Grasping onto that tiny spark, my dad dragged home a basketball hoop for our dirt driveway.

That  driveway became my practice ground where I learned a lesson that still shapes how I coach today: if I practice, I get better

This was not a fancy set up. There was no pavement or lines or gawking crowd. It was just me, my dad, the dirt, and the hoop running drills over and over again.

Practicing pulled me off the couch and quieted the noise in my head. It gave me something to focus on besides everything I thought was wrong with me.  

Get the ball through the hoop. Miss. Try again. Miss again. Adjust. 

That is why intentional practice builds confidence. Confidence does not come from believing harder or visualizing more. Confidence comes from proof.

Why This Matters at Work Too

Most people think that confidence comes first and performance follows. 

Even 10 year old me with my dirt driveway basketball hoop can confirm that is not how it works. 

Confidence is built through intentional practice, especially in how you communicate, lead, and show up in moments that matter. 

I see this all the time with leaders and high performers. They wait to feel ready before they speak up. They wait to feel confident before they leave. They wait for certainty that never comes. 

Meanwhile, the WAR Room in their head gets louder and clarity becomes more difficult to find. 

What Intentional Practice Actually Looks Like

Intentional practice at work actually mirrors the practice that athletes do in the gym, on the court, on the field. 

It’s not about grinding harder with no plan. It’s about creating drills, playbooks, and routines that build the muscle you need to gain. 

Intentional practice could look like: 

•  Practicing how you talk to yourself before tough conversations

• Practicing clarity instead of overexplaining

• Practicing presence instead of perfection

• Practicing your strengths instead of fixating on what you lack

Intentional practice builds confidence because it gives you evidence that you can handle what is in front of you. It doesn’t need to be loud; it just needs to be consistent. 

Find Your Team to Practice With

Like with athletes, practicing is easier when you are surrounded by a motivated team and an experienced coach. Your professional practice should be no different.

This is exactly why I created The WIN League.

The WIN League is where you stop trying to practice leadership, confidence, and communication on your own. It is where you find your team. It is where you find your coach. It is where you get daily reps that move you out of your head and into action.

If you are ready to stop waiting to feel confident and start practicing your way there, the WIN League is your practice ground.

Apply to the WIN League and find your team, your coach, and the space to practice every day.

Since childhood, the story I told myself about who I was quietly worked against me, undermining me at every step. Confidence does not come from believing harder or visualizing more. Confidence comes from proof and intentional practice.