Leadership: Overcoming impostor syndrome

You are on the roll. Everything is going your way and no challenge is big enough to stop you. You are succeeding and with the way things are going, it seems that more good things are coming your way. You feel great. You feel awesome. However, despite all you have achieved, there is a voice inside of you telling you that it was all because of luck. You didn’t really succeed because of hard work and your skills. You’re just one lucky fraud and don’t deserve your achievements. What is this voice inside of you? It’s called the impostor syndrome and it is more common than you think.

Leaders always push themselves to become better. A competent entrepreneur will always look for creative ways to stay ahead of the competition. A corporate leader will always look for more efficient ways to take the team to new levels of success. It’s all about pushing the envelope and when you do, experiencing imposter syndrome is a natural by-product. As this causes you to feel that you don’t deserve your successes, it breeds self-doubt and will eventually cause your self-confidence to plummet. These two alone are very damaging to anyone in a leadership role. So how do you overcome this condition?

Embrace It

The impostor syndrome is as natural as it gets. The fact that you are experiencing it means that you are succeeding. It means that you are exploring what is possible and moving away from your comfort zone. Acknowledge and embrace it for what it is. And what it is is your mind’s natural reaction to you being exposed to something different yet still being able to flourish. Embrace it yet don’t let it control you. Use it as an indication that you are succeeding.

Foster Psychological Safety

Leaders are not the only ones prone to impostor syndrome. Your team members, especially high-performing ones, are also prone to it. Just like any negative condition, it can be damaging if ignored or buried. It’s time to end the silence about this type of condition and as a leader, it starts with you. Open up about your experience with it. Share your experiences with the team and talk about how impostor syndrome usually accompanies success. Make it a point that this condition is nothing to be ashamed of and is instead can be used as an advantage to push yourselves even further.

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