5 ways to overcome imposter syndrome as a leader
One of the biggest barriers stopping leaders from reaching their full potential isn’t because they’re missing the right skill set.
It also isn’t down to a lack of experience or training.
In many cases it’s due to self doubt - and it’s trusty sidekick imposter syndrome.
As the boss, people come to you for support, ideas, and advice. Yet, you feel underqualified and incapable, struggling to keep your own head above water.
You feel like a fraud and like you’re faking it in your career, and you’re just waiting for someone to discover that you’re a sham.
But the truth is, you didn't just get lucky and "land" your role - you’re the right person for the job, you're ready and this is your time.
You’re just suffering with imposter syndrome.
The good news is, you’re not alone. Unfortunately it’s thriving in the workplace and can afflict people at every level.
Research estimates as many as 70% of people suffer from imposter syndrome at one point or another.
Now, you could just grab your things and get the hell out of there… or you could tackle the issue head on. To help you do that, here's 5 ways to overcome imposter syndrome as a leader.
1. Talk about it
One of the best ways to tackle its effects is to break the silence and start a conversation around self doubt.
You aren’t the first - and definitely won’t be the last - to suffer with imposter syndrome.
Sometimes relief can be as simple as telling someone else about how you’re feeling and hearing those two magical words in reply: “me too.”
It’s important to gave open discussions with your team and normalise the fact that fears come with taking risks and innovating, and that feeling out of your depth doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
2. Take the pressure off yourself
When you feel imposter syndrome start to kick in, sometimes it’s easy to feel like you should compensate for it by leading harder. This might mean overworking and over delivering or taking charge and pretending to know things that you don’t.
When actually, you need to be doing the exact opposite. You need to learn to take the pressure off yourself and allow yourself to take a step back.
You’re only human. Yes, you may be the boss, but this doesn’t mean people expect you to know everything and be involved in every decision.
Leadership is about knowing when to lead, and also about knowing when you should utilise the strengths of your team and allow others the opportunity to show the way.
3. Focus on your strengths
Imposter syndrome is usually driven by negative thinking. If you flip that and focus on your strengths, you can achieve the opposite.
Taking time to reflect and think about all the positives you bring to the table make it easier to overcome the feeling of imposter syndrome and reframe your thoughts.
A tangible way to help you do this is by creating an achievement file or wins list. This is exactly what it sounds like and requires you pulling together a list of your recent or past accomplishments to look through during those moments of doubt.
They help you refocus your negative thinking and act as a reminder for exactly why you’re the right person for the job.
4. Look at how you talk to yourself
Self-doubt is normal. We all doubt ourselves and our capabilities now and then. But turning that into persistent negative self-talk is counterproductive and is just going to let your imposter syndrome take over.
After all, if you are telling yourself that you are incapable, useless or not cut out to lead, it won’t be long until you start to believe it.
You need to look at how you talk to yourself. If you’re suffering with imposter syndrome, it’s likely the voice in your head is pretty negative for the majority of the time.
The key to putting a stop to negative self talk is self awareness. Once you understand your thoughts and emotions, you will find it easier to reframe them.
For example, instead of dwelling on the mistakes you made in a project, focus on what you contributed and achieved to make it a success.
5. Adopt a growth mindset
The key to overcoming imposter syndrome is understanding that you always have things to develop.
When you take every challenge as a learning opportunity and adopt a growth mindset, it drives away any thoughts of being an imposter.
Once you understand you don’t have to know it all, any feeling of being an imposter will help drive your work ethic, development and innovation.
People who adopt a growth mindset see obstacles — like the feeling of being an imposter — as temporary, as things that can be overcome.
Wanna hear more?
I’ll be talking all about imposter syndrome and leadership in the next episode of the Braver Leaders podcast, click the button below to check it out.