Confidence is a powerful tool for gaining respect and inspiring trust with others. And yet, there are words, phrases, and non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language that can convey weakness, damage our perceived confidence, and sabotage our effectiveness. Confidence is essential to leadership and is an important component to career advancement. Confidence is a combination of verbal and nonverbal behaviors. By acting confident, we influence how others perceive us, and we can change how we feel about ourselves.