Who's the imposter now?
Have you ever been asked to do something at work where you’ve felt ‘No way! I can’t do that!’.
Or someone congratulated you on a job well done and your reaction was ‘Really?! Anyone could've done it’.
Or you've looked at your peers around the board table and thought 'How am I here?'
Or you’ve wondered when you’re going to get found out. When they’ll uncover what you knew all along- that it was a fluke you got the job.
This feeling of doubt is called imposter syndrome. Personally I prefer the term imposter experience - it’s unlikely that you have a ‘syndrome’ if you’ve experienced any of these feelings. In my experience we’re all prone to doubt ourselves every now and again.
I know a lot of confident, senior leaders who intermittently feel this way and needed a nudge to get back into a positive mindset.
If you’re currently feeling this way and want to get unstuck, or you’re mentoring/ leading someone who feels this way, try these ideas:
Remind yourself why you got the job in the first place. If you’re unsure or can’t recall- ask your boss!
Get a second opinion from someone in the office you trust. How do they think you’re doing? Ask them for 1 piece of positive feedback and 1 constructive idea to do differently so that you get both a confidence boost and something to tangibly help you keep improving (you'll find them more believable if you get both types of feedback)
Re-read your role profile (job description) and for each role requirement, write an example where you’ve delivered it. If you’re newer to role- think of ideas you can put in your plan to achieve this, making you feel more in control
Read past appraisal comments from your bosses (assuming they are good!) and any positive feedback emails you have - keep a ‘well done’ inbox folder you can dip into when needed
Pour your heart out over wine with friends - sometimes you just need to be told you’re great by people who love you
It's very unlikely you're actually an imposter...I expect you were hired for this job for good reason. If you're experiencing a momentary freak out, try the above actions, and if those fail, call me! Know you're not alone - we've all been there. You've got this.
