Expert interview with Stu van Rij, IT lawyer, negotiator and leadership coach.
Stu van Rij spent two decades as an IT lawyer navigating high-stakes negotiations before becoming a leadership coach. He’ll transform how you think about building confidence and navigating challenges:
💡 Confidence follows a specific pathway: Feeling uncomfortable isn’t a lack of confidence, it’s a sign you’re building it. You can’t skip the steps:
Conviction – wanting to do the thing
Courage – taking the step (involves risk, won’t feel good)
Competence – building through repetition, even through setbacks
Confidence – reflecting on your wins (share them with us each Friday on Insta).
💡 Win the battle between your ears first – Confidence is a mental game and the first battle to win is always the one in your head. How you frame a situation in your mind directly impacts how you show up and perform. Use research-backed reframes like ‘I’m excited’ or ‘pressure is privilege’ when facing challenging moments.
💡 Use WHISPA before challenging moments – When facing something that tests you, go through your resources:
Wins (past proof you’ve done something like this before)
Hunger (what you really want from this)
Identity (unique strengths you bring)
Skills (what you know)
Prep (homework you’ve done)
Allies (your support network like Powrsuit!)
Shift from ‘threat state’ to a ‘challenge state’, simply by recognising that you have everything you need.
Powrsuit replaces exclusive, time-intensive professional development with small actions that work around real life. Join now to access this, and over 70 more bite-sized lessons, along with peer coaching, a private network and plenty of other member benefits.
"This is such a powerful conversation! I love how Stu talked about reframing and his quote about pressure is privilege. I am finding this more and more in my role at work."
