As a talent management specialist, a head-hunter for international organisations, and an executive coach, I come across countless exceptionally senior and highly skilled, accomplished people who suffer with imposter syndrome or the fear they’ll be “found out.” People who doubt their abilities to the point they sometimes feel they don’t deserve to have the senior role they have, suffer from “imposter syndrome.” A Harvard business review survey canvased Fortune 500 CEOs and found that 95%of themhad suffered at times from imposter syndrome.¹ This plague disproportionately affects high-achieving people, many of whom find it difficult to accept their accomplishments, focusing more on what they don’t know. This troubling syndrome affects women more than men. So how can we show ourselves authentically if many of us are also doubting ourselves? Are you thinking, ‘Can I let other people know the real me?’ Yes, you can, and you must if you have the ambition to be an inspiring leader. Goffee and Jones² found that the best leaders were those that authentically showed their strengths and discussed their weaker areas with others ranked higher in leadership than those that didn’t show their authentic selves. We want leaders that show they are like us, fallible but willing to learn. So how can you do this and still keep professional boundaries? First, realise that self-doubt is an inherently natural quality that only narcissists and sociopaths don’t experience. Most of us have elements of confidence and areas of doubt simultaneously and we can use that self-awareness wisely to hone our skills as leaders. Here’s my four-point, fool-proof guide to staying authentically at the top of your leadership game, while also defining points you intend to improve upon: 1. Remember the Facts Notice when you read about imposter syndrome and self-doubt, it means that people may feel or think they don’t deserve the job, they may believe they don’t deserve the job but that is not a fact. They didn’t just walk in and take over; they were selected by people specifically charged to hire the best-qualified candidates for those positions. These people are not where they are by mistake or because of some accident, yet many continue to doubt themselves. Fight against being one of them by remembering the facts. 2. Manage the Expectations Women—even the very talented, highly-experienced women I have the privilege of working with—seem to have a significant lack of success expectations and increased insecurity in dealing with the success they do achieve. The figures showing far more women suffer from imposter syndrome bear this out. Men are more likely to expect success, as if bred for it. (Which brings a whole different set of mental health challenges for men not suffered by women when they don’t succeed, but that is for another article). I wonder if, somehow, men naturally understand this through societal upbringing, but women somehow find this more difficult through the norms and roles that society teaches them. Everyone who recognises their weaknesses while working on them needs to imagine what will work. Do a risk analysis, then focus on the win. 3. Mirror Role Models If you don’t feel confident, imagine a role model, someone you admire. Roleplay in your head how they would handle a challenging situation while showing authentic leadership. How would they hold themselves, look, and speak? How would their demeanour come across? Mirror them. I’m often asked if it’s possible to teach confidence. Yes, if you mirror it enough, it becomes a habit. While this habit develops, you’re being your authentic self, imaging the outcome you seek and showing inspiring leadership others will want to follow, and refusing imposter syndrome symptoms. THE DISRUPTORS vision & strategy 1 Harvard Business Review 2008 2 (London Business School 2014)
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