We as women may need to sometimes act confident even if we are not. The more often you act, the more you actually find the strength to express what needs to be expressed. So it gets better with practice.
Every time I got promoted, I had this real urge to explain to the person who was actually giving me the new role the ways I didn't qualify. It's even beyond that. I am on boards. I have had a long career. How often do I find myself in a situation in which I am not 100% confident? It's this inclination to apologize before you actually state your opinion.
I remember a long time ago, Jimmy Lee Jr. (former vice chairman at JPMorgan Chase) at the end of a board meeting telling me, "Dina, you stood there and gave a great presentation as the chief financial officer. You apologized for being the one coming at it from another angle. Why would you do that?"
So now I do realize.
For more thoughts on this topic, see the video