Confidence can be defined as a belief that you will succeed, which conveniently spurs you into action when it’s needed. Another interesting aspect of confidence is that it’s more important than competence in the business setting. This is encouraging for many, but it can be a bitter pill to swallow for those of us who aren’t confident by nature.

The good news is that we can build our confidence like a muscle. Each time you identify the next step toward a goal, stretch beyond your comfort zone or embrace your vulnerabilities, you sculpt and tone your confidence just a bit. However, you need to reside in a healthy office environment for this to work. Your confidence can’t coexist with a toxic workplace culture, where it’s a struggle to believe in yourself and contribute value. If you’re currently in such a predicament, you owe it to yourself to find a solution, or a new job.

Below are three instances in which clients of mine have been able to boost their confidence and thrive due to their vulnerabilities, because they placed themselves in supportive work environments and were proactively communicative with their teams. Try to find a little bit of yourself in one of these examples and learn from the solutions that worked.

“Ask for what you need, sooner rather than later.’

We’ve all heard or shared our own stories of panic and breakdowns stemming from not keeping up with our career responsibilities. One of my clients, Marissa, nearly found herself in that situation after having her first child. Looking into her baby’s eyes, she fell in love and realized that she wouldn’t be able to stick with her original plan of returning to work full time.

Since Marissa had co-created some expectations with her team in advance, and felt supported by the culture of her firm, she didn’t hesitate to ask for what she needed. She explained her situation and when asked, offered possible solutions to her manager, who was invested in her success. Both parties settled on a resolution, and both were pleased with the outcome. Marissa emerged unscathed, and with the flexibility she needed as a new mom.

‘You don’t need to have all the answers.’