Over 70% of leaders experience “Imposter Syndrome” — and that number may be even higher during these uncertain times. To overcome feelings of self-doubt, anxiety and guilt, executives need to redefine what confidence and competence look and feel like. In her June 6 “Your Best Next Move” video, Bobbie LaPorte shares two simple tips that can help mitigate Imposter Syndrome.
Transcript of Your Best Next Move: The Surge of Imposter Syndrome in Uncertain Times
Hi everyone, Bobbie LaPorte here again with my weekly leadership tip for your Best Next Move, where I help you see continuing curveballs as an opportunity. This year, I will help you actively use your personal agency to accelerate what you want to accomplish in 2022.
This week I want to talk about “Imposter Syndrome.” Some of you are probably rolling your eyes thinking: C’mon, we all know what that is. There’s nothing new to say about it.
Maybe, maybe not. Whether you’ve experienced it or not; or you believe it is a real threat to leaders or an excuse not to perform, research shows that 70% of us experience it at one time or another. And it seems to be more prevalent now in these challenging times.
So, what is Imposter Syndrome anyway? As it was defined by two psychologists in the 70s, there are three elements:
- Thinking that people have an exaggerated view of your abilities.
- The fear of being exposed as a fraud.
- The continuous tendency to downplay your achievements.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like many executives I’ve worked with.
So why am I talking about this now? If you follow my work, you know that I help leaders navigate through challenging, uncertain times. For these times we are living and leading in. And successful leadership during these times calls for a new definition of competence and confidence.
In the past, we derived our confidence from a traditional reliance on functional skillsets, on our domain knowledge, and previous accomplishments.
But that has all changed in a world of unrelenting uncertainty. Confidence and competence now come from your ability to understand your strengths, to see how they can be used in a broader way to expand what you are capable of — moving beyond what you’ve done in the past to what you can do now.
And this is important because Imposter Syndrome typically shows up when we decide to take on new roles or new responsibilities, and it can result in feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, and guilt.
And with all the internal change happening, we see this happening with increasing frequency as leaders take on new roles in the org they were not prepared for; increased responsibilities; filling an interim role when a peer leaves. These can make the most accomplished and change-hearty execs question their abilities.
I acknowledge that these can be concerning, but they don’t have to be debilitating. Don’t go to the dark side and talk yourself into it.
So, here’s my tip to mitigate the surge of imposter syndrome in uncertain times:
- Inventory and acknowledge your achievements. One strategy I share with my clients is to take 2 minutes at the end of the week and record 3 highlights from the week. They don’t have to be major…just things that stand out. You can mitigate imposter syndrome by reflecting on and reminding yourself of your strengths on a regular basis.
- And celebrate those accomplishments. We often get so focused on the outcomes of our work that we forget to honor ourselves. But celebrating yourself is a simple, and fun, way to combat imposter syndrome.
That’s my tip for this week.
For more help on using your personal agency to make uncertainty a part of your success strategy for 2022 – check out my new book – “When the Curveballs Keep Coming: A Leadership Playbook for an Uncertain World”, and my new online leadership course – “Leading Through Uncertainty.”
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