Enabling Confidence: How We Lift Each Other in Business Analysis

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where confidence really comes from. Not the kind we’re expected to project, but the kind we actually feel. 

For me, confidence hasn’t arrived in big, dramatic moments. It has shown up in the smaller ones: the mentor who took an extra five minutes to validate why my decision was correct, the colleague who said, “I think you’d be great at this,” the team who trusted me enough to let me step forward.

Those moments stay with you. They accumulate. And over time, they quietly shape who you become.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, I keep coming back to this idea: we grow most when someone invests in us, and when we invest in others.

That’s the heart of this year’s theme, #GiveToGain. And it’s at the core of what it means to enable confidence in others.

Confidence Through Knowledge

Business analysis is built on continuous learning, and confidence grows as we deepen our understanding and put that learning into practice. It’s reinforced when we’re in environments where curiosity is welcomed, questions aren’t dismissed, and learning is seen as a strength.

Sharing what we know is one of the most generous ways we build confidence in ourselves and others. When experienced practitioners take the time to explain the “why,” pass along lessons learned, or help someone think through a situation, they create the conditions for confidence to take root.

Investing in learning is less about collecting techniques and more about believing in your ability to use them well.

Confidence Through Connection

Community and connection help us grow at every stage of our careers. Mentorship, peer networks, alumni groups, and chapter communities give us perspective when we’re unsure and encouragement when we’re stretching.

Through connection, we’re reminded of something important: confidence comes from experience, not perfection. When we see other women navigate challenges with honesty and resilience, we realize that uncertainty is normal and that we don’t have to have everything figured out to contribute meaningfully.

And small acts matter. A conversation, a suggestion, or a shared experience. These moments help us feel seen and supported, and that collective strength builds confidence we can rely on.

Confidence Through Certification

Professional certification can play a meaningful role in how confident we feel. For many of us, it acknowledges what we already know, especially in environments where our expertise may be overlooked or questioned.

Earning my CBAP, AAC, PMI-PBA, and PMI-ACP certifications reinforced my sense of professional identity. It gave me a language for what I already knew, and it strengthened my confidence to contribute, influence decisions, and pursue opportunities I might not have considered—like hosting a podcast!

When organizations support certification, it's so much more than simply funding an exam. They’re implicitly saying, “Your expertise matters here.” That kind of support benefits both the individual and the team, creating shared standards and a common language that help us work together more effectively.

Confidence Through Insight

Insight comes from experience, reflection, and connecting information in ways that move work forward. When our insight is trusted, when our questions are welcomed, and when our perspectives shape decisions, confidence grows naturally.

Confidence doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some of us lead through facilitation. Some through careful analysis. Some lead through strategic thinking or calm decision-making under pressure. Each approach creates insights.

When organizations create space for women to use their insight—and trust our judgment—confidence grows in ways that feel authentic and sustainable.

Redefining What Confidence Looks Like

Confidence doesn’t show up in the same way for everyone. For some of us, it’s expressed through speaking up in a meeting, guiding a complex discussion, or taking the lead. For others, it’s found in thoughtful analysis, steady facilitation, or the ability to stay grounded under pressure. All of these expressions are valid, valuable, and worth recognizing.

Enabling confidence means acknowledging that influence doesn’t need to be loud to be effective. Too often, traditional expectations of confidence highlight only a few behaviours (like being the most vocal person in the room), unintentionally overlooking the many other ways people show leadership. 

When we broaden our understanding, we create room for people to show up as themselves, without feeling the need to fit a particular mold. And we reduce the pressure to change who we are just to be seen as leaders.

Visibility matters here. When we highlight and celebrate the different ways confidence is demonstrated, we reinforce that leadership has many forms—and that each one contributes meaningfully to the work we do.

Giving That Creates Lasting Change

Progress requires action (the consistent, intentional, everyday kind). In business analysis, this may look like:

• Mentoring early-career professionals
• Sharing knowledge and lessons learned
• Creating opportunities for visibility and leadership
• Investing in learning and development
• Advocating for women in decision-making spaces

These choices create ripple effects, strengthening teams, improving analysis, and building trust. They also make our workplaces more inclusive, and that’s by design.

This work aligns with global movements for justice, rights, and equality. Enabling confidence is one powerful way we bring those principles into our daily professional lives.

When Women Thrive, Everyone Rises

I’ve seen firsthand how confidence changes the way we show up, contribute, and lead. When women in business analysis feel supported, trusted, and encouraged, the quality of our work deepens—and the impact we create becomes undeniable.

Because when women are confident:

• Ideas are explored more deeply
• Risks are surfaced earlier
• Stakeholders are engaged more effectively
• Outcomes are more sustainable

So this International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on the people who invested in me and on the responsibility we all share to invest in one another. Confidence grows through encouragement, opportunity, trust, and community.

When we choose to lift each other, we’re strengthening the future of business analysis, as well as individuals, by creating space for more women to rise.   

Become an IIBA member to build confidence through connection and gain the insights and tools to lead organizational change. 

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