Confidence Can Be The Result of Taking Action: How Discomfort Builds Better Project Managers

Published On:

October 15, 2026

Confidence Can Be the Result of Taking Action: How Discomfort Builds Better Project Managers

There is a side of project management that rarely appears in a project schedule, risk register or status report.

It is the moment when a project manager has to decide whether to step forward before feeling completely ready.

Maybe it is speaking in a meeting with more experienced professionals. Maybe it is having a difficult conversation with a client, taking responsibility for an unfamiliar project, or making a decision when the information is incomplete.

These moments can be uncomfortable. But they can also be where professional capability is built.

Few experiences in my own career taught me this lesson long before I understood how closely it connected to project management.

Finding My Voice

Earlier in my career, I considered myself an introvert. Speaking spontaneously in front of approximately 50 professionals was far outside my comfort zone.

I remember having a simple choice: stay quiet or contribute.
I chose to speak.

It was uncomfortable, and it did not suddenly turn me into a confident public speaker. What it gave me was something more valuable: evidence that I could contribute even when I was nervous.

That experience led to another, then another. Eventually, I found myself speaking and hosting events for audiences of more than 1,000 people.

Looking back, the important transformation was not that I became comfortable speaking to large audiences.
It was that my definition of “I cannot do this” gradually changed.
That distinction matters in project management.

A project manager does not need to be the most experienced person in every room. They do need the ability to communicate, ask questions, facilitate conversations and make sure the right information reaches the right people.

PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2023 identified communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership and strategic thinking as four of the most important power skills for project professionals. Communication was identified by 71% of respondents, followed by problem-solving at 68%, collaborative leadership at 65% and strategic thinking at 64%.

These are not simply “soft skills.” They directly influence how project managers work with teams, stakeholders and uncertainty.

Confidence Often Comes After Action

We often think confidence is something we need before taking on a challenge.
My experience has been the opposite.

“Confidence can be the result of taking action.”

You lead your first difficult meeting and discover that you can handle a difficult conversation.
You present an idea to senior stakeholders and learn that you can communicate your thinking clearly.
You take ownership of an unfamiliar problem and discover that you can find the information, involve the right people and work toward a solution.

The experience becomes evidence for the next challenge.

For project managers, this creates a valuable cycle:
Challenge → Action → Learning → Confidence → Greater Responsibility
The cycle does not eliminate nervousness. Instead, it changes our relationship with it.

Preparation Still Matters

Taking one step further should not be confused with taking unnecessary risks.

Project management requires preparation, judgment and knowing when additional expertise is needed.

Before an important meeting, decision or project activity, I try to focus on what I can control:

Do I understand the information available to me?
Have I identified the key stakeholders?
What assumptions am I making?
What risks or uncertainties should I consider?
What questions still need to be answered?
Where do I need input from someone with greater expertise?
What is the next practical decision?

Once those questions have been addressed, there comes a point when preparation has to turn into action.

That is where professional courage becomes important.

Taking Ownership Before Having the Title

This lesson has also influenced how I approach my career.

When I joined my current construction company as a Project Coordinator, I did not expect that within my first couple of months I would have opportunities to take on Project Manager responsibilities across few projects.

It would have been easy to focus on everything I did not yet know.
Instead, I focused on what I could contribute, where I needed to learn and how I could take ownership of the work in front of me.

Taking ownership did not mean pretending to know everything.
It meant asking questions, learning quickly, communicating clearly and knowing when someone with more experience needed to be involved.
That, to me, is a more useful definition of confidence in project management.

Not:

“I know everything.”

But:

“I may not know everything yet, but I can figure out the next step.”

The project manager’s comfort zone is not the project’s boundary.

The One Step Further

I have learned that some of the most valuable professional growth begins with a very small decision:

Take one step further.
Speak up.
Ask the question.
Take ownership.
Learn the unfamiliar process.
Have the conversation.
Accept the responsibility.

Then learn from what happens.

Project management is ultimately about navigating people, change, uncertainty and competing priorities to create meaningful outcomes. The tools and frameworks matter. So do schedules, budgets, scope, risks and governance.

But behind all of them is a person making decisions, communicating with people and leading through situations that are rarely perfectly certain.

You do not have to feel completely ready to take the next step.

You simply have to be willing to take it!

PML would like to extend a huge thank you to Maria Rangwala for sharing her knowledge and wisdom with the PML community! Learn more about her below and reach out to connect!

About the Author

Maria Rangwala, PMP®, is a Project Coordinator with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and hands-on experience in construction project coordination, preconstruction, estimating, procurement, and project delivery. Her interest in project management began during her civil engineering studies, where she became increasingly drawn to the coordination, planning, communication, and problem-solving that bring projects together.

As a Certified Project Management Professional, Maria combines practical construction experience with formal project management principles. Her experience includes residential, commercial, and public-sector projects, giving her a practical perspective on the challenges of delivering projects in dynamic environments.

Maria is passionate about continuous learning and believes that effective project management is ultimately about people. Clear communication, strong stakeholder relationships, early problem-solving, and taking ownership are central to her approach.

As a woman building her career in the construction industry, Maria is also passionate about professional growth and encouraging others to step outside their comfort zones. She believes confidence is often built through action, and that taking on challenges before feeling completely ready can create some of the most valuable opportunities for growth.

Through her writing, Maria shares practical perspectives on project management, construction, career development, and the human side of professional growth.

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