Confidence code for high achievers

Talented women can reach the top by changing their ingrained negative thought patterns and behaviours, but they risk being called bossy.

CONFIDENCE can set you apart — although hard to define, it’s easy to recognise. Yet many women, including well-known high-achievers, struggle with self-doubt and inadequacy.

Christine Lagarde, the formidable head of the International Monetary Fund, had occasional losses of confidence as she climbed the ladder.