If you’re going to run for office, you’re going to have to know yourself inside and out.

This is because you’ll not only want to build the campaign around who you are and what your values are but knowing yourself gives you a better shot at being able to project the best you while you’re out on the campaign trail.

So let’s talk about the steps that you can take to start getting to know yourself better and start creating a winning campaign.

#1. Take a test

If you’re a test taker, you might want to try to take a personality test like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or the Enneagram test or the Big Five Personality test. This will give a pretty good idea of what your biggest strengths and weaknesses are, so that you (and your team) can use those to your advantage while you’re campaigning.

You might also want to check out this Political Skill Inventory. It explores how astute you are in your Political Skills – skills like interpersonal influence, networking ability, social astuteness and apparent sincerity, all of which are important for someone who has to work with so many different types of personalities and in as many different social circles and interactions as politicians have to. Taking this quick quiz will allow you to see which of the four dimensions of political skills you’re already competent in, and see where you may need some improvement.

#2. get comfortable getting uncomfortable

This adventure is going to have you disrupting the status quo to help make your community a better place. There might be aspects about running for office that scare you or make you feel a little uncomfortable – and that’s totally normal. This won’t always be easy, but it can be very worth it.

Take a minute to reflect on:

• What your fears are in regards to this possible new adventure?

• How might you find solutions, fixes or resolutions for those fears?

You might want to write down the solutions so that you have them on hand for when you’re scared and need an extra boost. We’ve had one candidate tell us that she turned the solutions into affirmations that she wrote on her bathroom mirror; another mentioned having a Note on her phone that she could easily check and reflect on, so that it was always close by and handy on the campaign trail. Do what works for you.

If you’re looking for a little guidance on this, a great video on this topic is Luvvie Ajayi Jones’s TED Talk “How to be a professional troublemaker”, where she discusses what kind of trouble is worth making, and shares the three questions she asks herself to overcome fear.

#3. Consider the barriers

No one is denying that there are many barriers that are keeping women from running for office. Things like lack of confidence, fear of the unknown, worries about the financial aspects of running, or the lack of a local social network are all valid reasons that may have you second-guessing whether or not you want to run for office. And if you are a woman of colour or a member of an equity-seeking group, you face even more serious and entrenched barriers that may give you pause as you begin this journey.

So before we let those fears overwhelm us, we’re going to do ourselves a favour, and we’re going to bat away each of those fears by reading 26 Common Barriers to Running for Office And How To Overcome Them by She Should Run. While they are an American nonprofit, their mission is the same as ours, and that resource has the answers to the same questions that women around the world ask themselves when it comes to running for office. Click on the questions that are echoing through your head to reveal the answers that will help give you the confidence that you need to shake those fears away.

#4. Consider your circle

Now, you’re going to want to start thinking outside of yourself too, and how you’re running for office will affect the people around you. Think of the following:

• Are your family and friends onboard?

• Will you have the support of your immediate circle before, during and after the election?

• Do you have a network to support your candidacy?

• Will this affect your current employment?

  • Will you quit your job? If not, how will you manage work and your commitment to municipal council?

Some of these may be deal-breakers to you. Others might not be. It’s important that you go into this with a clear understanding and expectations, and that those who love you are on the same page.

#5. write down your personal inventory list

This is will have you listing everybody you know – and we mean everybody – on to one list. Just start writing names. Start with the people closest to you, like your partner or family or close friends, and then start expanding outwards, to coworkers or fellow board members or community friends. Then evaluate – will these people help on your campaign in some way? Can you call on them to contribute funds, or knock on doors with you? Remember – volunteering for a campaign doesn’t always mean having to do ‘the political stuff’, but it can also mean supporting you in personal ways that you might need, like providing childcare or making you a few frozen meals. It can also mean donating money or material! If you think that they’d help out in some way, put a + sign in that column for them. If you don’t think the person you listed would support you, put a - sign next to their name. Remember – that can sting, but it’s better to know now than to be surprised by it down the line.

Now evaluate your list:

• Do you have helpers and supporters?

• Do you have moral support?

• Are there areas that you may need to expand your circle a little bit?

Doing this can help you realize where to start putting your resources:

• Should you go meet other ‘political people’ and community leaders in your community?

• Do you need to start thinking about recruiting a team, or can you build your team from the people you know?

• Do you have more volunteers or do you have more donors? What are you going to have to look outside of your circle for?

Remember, this is just about getting organized and taking stock of the plusses in your corner so that we can work with the strengths that you have. Don’t worry if your personal circle isn’t that big, or you don’t know how the result that you got on your personality quiz is compatible with being a politician – this is just about giving you the chance to get to know yourself so that you go into this with clear expectations.

Need a resource to help?

We created a resource especially to help you organize that personal inventory, and it’s absolutely free.

Use this free PDF resource to help you list everybody you know. How should you use it? Start by writing down the names of the people closest to you, like your partner or family or close friends, and then start expanding outwards, to coworkers or fellow board members or community friends. Then evaluate – will these people help on your campaign in some way? Can you call on them to contribute funds, or knock on doors with you? Use this resource to help you keep it all organized and see where you stand as you start to build your core team of supporters.