In this article I aim to challenge the internalised beliefs and systemic conditioning that make us, especially the younger generation, hesitate to show up fully in professional spaces despite being qualified, creative, and more capable than ever.
Across the continent, a new generation is stepping into rooms their grandparents couldn’t enter, but even in these spaces, many are battling an internal ceiling built long before they arrived. Despite their qualifications, creativity, and resilience, they hesitate. They play small. They over-explain. They undercharge. Why?
Because systems taught them to associate confidence with arrogance and assertiveness with disrespect. From colonial education models that punished questioning to gender norms that reward silence over strength, African professionals were never just underdeveloped economically; we were underestimated psychologically.
In this article I aim to challenge the internalised beliefs and systemic conditioning that make us, especially the younger generation, hesitate to show up fully in professional spaces despite being qualified, creative, and more capable than ever. I'm not just writing to motivate you; my hope is that this serves as a psychological and cultural intervention designed to spark a mindset shift, validating the lived experience of professionals navigating legacy systems of oppression and limitation.
A Unesco study revealed that in many African education systems, rote learning and obedience are prioritised over critical thinking and self-expression, conditioning that stifles confidence from a young age. According to the African Development Bank, only 23 per cent of African professionals feel empowered to make bold suggestions at work, citing fear of hierarchy and hierarchical respect norms as primary barriers.
And gender plays a compounding role. In a 2022 report by McKinsey Africa, women in African corporate settings are 30 per cent less likely to apply for stretch roles, even when qualified, due to what researchers term "internalised competence doubt.” In other words, our talent isn’t lacking; our permission to believe in it is.
Confidence is not a personality trait. It’s a skill, one that’s been systemically stripped and now must be deliberately rebuilt. And the confidence I’m referring to doesn’t just mean being the loudest in the room. I mean trusting that your insight has value before it’s validated, especially in systems designed to keep you quiet.
If you’re ready to unlearn the hesitation and step into your boldness, here are four strategies:
1. Audit the source of your self-doubt Ask: Where did I learn to shrink? Self-doubt often comes from somewhere. A past experience. A critical teacher. A culture of silence. Ask yourself, where did I learn to hold back? When you identify the origin, you can begin to separate your current reality from old conditioning.
2. Practice visibility without apology Sharing your ideas is not self-promotion; it’s participation. Post your work. Speak up in meetings. Accept compliments without deflecting them. Visibility is not about ego. It is a signal that you take your contribution seriously.
3. Surround yourself with expansive people Confidence is social. Spend time with people who see your potential and challenge you to grow. The more you engage with bold thinkers, the more you start to believe you belong among them.
4. Redefine boldness as a contribution, not a disruption Every time you speak up with insight, you’re not interrupting the system; you’re upgrading it. When you offer a new idea or challenge the status quo, you are not causing trouble. You are creating progress. Systems don’t improve when everyone agrees.
Remember, when you reclaim boldness, you don’t just change your career; you rewrite what leadership looks like on this continent.
