Leadership When You Have Imposter Syndrome

By Heather Cherry— 

Good leadership requires the ability to communicate, motivate, and delegate—sometimes simultaneously requiring you to forge ahead without all the answers. One of the main barriers that prevent leaders from excelling isn’t necessarily missing a skillset or character flaw. It’s because they lack self-confidence and feel like an imposter.

Imposter syndrome is associated with behaviors like perfectionism and overworking. These are excellent characteristics to be a high achiever, but can be unrealistic and costly. Those with imposter syndrome can hold themselves to impossibly high standards, feel shame, and experience low self-esteem

Imposter syndrome manifests itself in a variety of ways. People with this syndrome lack confidence and think they don’t deserve the success they’ve achieved. You might be experiencing imposter syndrome if you: 

  • Downplay your accomplishments 
  • Avoid feedback
  • Reluctant to ask for help 
  • Refuse new opportunities 
  • Overwork yourself to the point of burnout
  • Fail to start (or finish) projects 

Many leaders experience imposter syndrome, and its effects can have far-reaching consequences. If you experience self-perceived phoniness and feel like an imposter, don’t panic—it’s quite common in high achievers and leaders.

Those with imposter syndrome have an innate fear of being discovered as a fraud or non-deserving professional—despite their demonstrated talent and achievements. 

Here’s how to be a leader when you experience imposter syndrome. 

Acknowledge You Don’t Know Everything

Feeling like an imposter usually happens when you also feel like people expect you to know more than you do. Expectations are hard to overcome, but everyone is susceptible to this feeling at some point in their life. Trying to please everyone or act like you know everything is exhausting.

Be honest with yourself with what you know (and what you don’t). Speak up and share this knowledge. Admitting you don’t have all the answers doesn’t make you a fraud—it makes you human.  

Listen To Your Colleagues 

Turn to your colleagues and utilize their feedback for personal development. Getting another point of view helps refresh your own—and you can use their insight to inventory your strengths and weaknesses. 

Approach development as a series of experiments. Start with one of your weaknesses. Analyze it to determine if it is something you can change. If so, do you already have a strength that can help you? For example, if your weakness is procrastination, but your strength is that you are detail oriented—how might you apply this skill set to overcome procrastination

No matter what, remember your faults are a part of the composition of you, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of them. Instead, embrace them for what they are and move on.  

Have Open Discussions 

Everybody has fears—including fearless leaders. Identifying them for what they are, helps you to overcome. If you fear being discovered as an imposter, you might also be allowing other worries to creep in, like the fear of criticism or failure. 

Opening the lines of communication of your self-doubt and how it accompanies success helps neutralize your fears, and allows you to innovate. If you lead a team, talking about your fears can help them feel more motivated. 

Leaders that talk about their fears tend to see exponential growth—quickly realizing they can conquer anything.

Pay Attention To Your Self-Talk 

Imposter syndrome can be linked to feelings of self-doubt, leading to negative self-talk. When you experience success, you might find yourself lacking confidence or engaging in negative thoughts. Consider how you feel—are your thoughts empowering or disabling?

If they’re the latter, choose a different script and reframe your thinking. This will require mindfulness and becoming aware when self-doubt starts to emerge. 

Instead, choose a positive script—including reminders of your success that isn’t directly related to the victory itself. For example, you earned a new promotion at work, but feel like a phony. Instead of telling yourself, “I’m wrong for this opportunity,” remind yourself, “I have a lot to offer, and here’s why.”  

Recognize Accomplishments 

Recognizing and celebrating your accomplishments marks milestones in your life. It also reinforces hard work and boosts self-esteem. Waiting only until a “big” accomplishment is achieved can feel daunting—decreasing your motivation and potentially increasing the overwhelming feeling of imposter syndrome. 

Celebrate small accolades incrementally to boost your confidence, stave off burnout, and fuel your continued success. People tend to place higher values on what they achieve in the near future versus what they expect to achieve in the more distant future. 

When you face imposter syndrome, the most important thing is to remember you are an authority, not an expert. Great leaders possess a clear vision, are courageous, have integrity, and are honest. Take pride in your accomplishments, and ask for help along the way.

Heather Cherry is a Marketing Consultant and Copywriter. She self-published, Market Your A$$ Off. She holds a master’s degree in Professional Writing from Chatham University. 

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