Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work

When I was promoted from Senior Manager to Director, I struggled with severe impostor syndrome. Then, when I was promoted to Vice President, it was even worse. Here are 4 ways I fought it and how you can too: 1) Normalize it. If you worry that people might find out you don’t fully know what you’re doing, know this: it’s normal. Most people experience some level of impostor syndrome, especially in new roles. 2) Expect complexity. It’s completely normal to be in the biggest, most complex job of your life for much of your career. If you're not, it often means you’ve either stepped back intentionally—or faced a setback like a layoff. Growth means doing harder things than ever before. 3) Ask for help. Be open with mentors about what you need. Discuss your challenges and ask for input. If you're in an environment where admitting “development areas” feels risky, reframe your language and ask for *help optimizing performance and delivery*. No one argues with optimization, and the result is the same—insight and support. 4) Work on your mental game. Hire a coach, therapist, or counselor if you need one. Top performers rely on a strong mental foundation. Pro athletes and performers work with coaches—leaders should too. Who do you know that’s struggling with impostor syndrome? Share this post with them. If you feel comfortable, share your own experiences below.

Imposter syndrome is not a syndrome. It is internalised systemic failure. It is not a personal failing, or something you fix with affirmations or confidence workshops. It's what happens when you operate in systems that were never designed for you, and then blame yourself for the dissonance. Some history: In 1978, psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes coined the term "Imposter Phenomenon" after studying primarily high-achieving middle-to-upper-class white women who felt like intellectual frauds despite evidence of success. Their solution? Therapy, homework, reframing negative self-talk. The message was clear: This is a problem inside you, fix yourself. They didn't study racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, or the fact that these women were often the only women in rooms designed by and for men. Fast forward to today: We've turned imposter syndrome into a multi-million dollar industry. Books, workshops, talks, corporate training programs. All telling individuals, especially women and people of colour, that the solution is internal. Build confidence, lean in, work harder, prove them wrong. 👉73% of women experience bias at work. Women are interrupted more, credited less, promoted slower, and paid less than men for the same work. Women of color are promoted at half the rate of white men. 👉Black women are the least supported at work, Black and Latine professionals are more likely to have their competence questioned, scrutinised, and their work attributed to someone else. 📍And then they're made to believe they have imposter syndrome. This is gaslighting at scale. Listen, the doubt you feel isn't a syndrome. It's a rational response to a system that treats you like you don't belong, and then pathologizes you for noticing. You're not imagining the interruptions; being overlooked for promotion; your ideas dismissed, then co-opted and celebrated when a man repeats them five minutes later. That's structural inequality, and calling it a syndrome does three things: 1️⃣ It pathologizes you instead of diagnosing the system: It makes the problem yours to fix - your anxiety, self-doubt, lack of confidence. Not the pay gap, promotion disparity, or culture of bias. 2️⃣ It absolves institutions of accountability: If it's a syndrome, organisations don't have to change. They can offer you workshops and mentorship while maintaining the structures that harm you. 3️⃣ It isolates you: It makes you think you're inadequate. Everyone else belongs here except you. So let’s call it what it is: -Internalised systemic failure -Internalised oppression (as my dear Safir calls it) -A rational response to systemic exclusion My challenge to you is to refuse to internalise it, instead demand structural change. Because individual confidence won't solve structural inequality. You can't "lean in" your way out of sexism. You can't outwork racism. You can't affirmation your way out of pay inequity. Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eDeQY4fV More links below👇

A highly qualified woman sat across from me yesterday.   Her resume showed 15 years of C-suite experience. Multiple awards. Industry recognition.   Yet she spoke about her success like it was pure luck.   SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of female executives experience this same phenomenon.   I see it daily through my work with thousands of women leaders. They achieve remarkable success but internally believe they fooled everyone.   Some call it imposter syndrome. I call it a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.   Let me explain...   When less than 5% of major companies have gender-balanced leadership, women question whether they belong.   My first board appointment taught me this hard truth.   I walked into that boardroom convinced I would say something ridiculous. Everyone seemed so confident.   But confidence plays tricks on us.   Perfect knowledge never exists. Leadership requires:   • Recognising what you know • Admitting what you miss • Finding the right answers • Moving forward anyway   Three strategies that transformed my journey:   1. Build your evidence file Document every win, every positive feedback, every successful project. Review it before big meetings. Your brain lies. Evidence speaks truth.   2. Find your circle Connect with other women leaders who understand your experience. The moment you share your doubts, someone else will say "me too."   3. Practice strategic vulnerability Acknowledging areas for growth enhances credibility. Power exists in saying "I'll find out" instead of pretending omniscience.   REALITY CHECK: This impacts business results.   Qualified women: - Decline opportunities - Downplay achievements - Hesitate to negotiate - Withdraw from consideration   Organisations lose valuable talent and perspective.   The solution requires both individual action and systemic change.   We need visible pathways to leadership for women. We need to challenge biased feedback. We need women in leadership positions in meaningful numbers.   Leadership demands courage, not perfect confidence.   The world needs leaders who push past doubt - not because they never experience it, but because they refuse to let it win. https://lnkd.in/gY9G-ibh

Imposter syndrome has a $287 billion price tag. How I watched 97 female executives sabotage their success last year. The pattern is predictable: Accomplished woman gets promotion. Doubt creeps in. Fear takes over. Performance suffers. Opportunities vanish. But here's what nobody tells you about imposter syndrome: It's not a personal failing. It's a systemic issue. The real problem? Traditional confidence advice doesn't work: ∙"Fake it till you make it" ∙ "Just be more confident" ∙ "Stop being so modest" ∙ "Lean in harder" These create more anxiety. Not less. Instead, try this approach: 1/ Document your wins. Every single one. 2/ Build evidence. Track your impact. 3/ Accept praise. "Thank you, it's true." 4/ Share victories. Without apology. 5/ Support others. Lift as you climb. Your doubt isn't the truth. Your track record is. Remember: You're not lucky. You're qualified. The world needs your voice. Especially when it shakes.

If you’ve been in a new role for six months and still feel like you’re about to be ‘found out’ — you’re not behind. You’re exactly where most people are. A KPMG study found that imposter feelings peak during promotions and transitions — not on day one, not in year three, but right when you’re deep enough to see everything you don’t know yet. And a Korn Ferry study found that 71% of U.S. CEOs experience imposter syndrome. 71%. The people who’ve supposedly ‘made it’ feel it just as acutely as someone in their first management role. Here’s what I’ve learned researching this for years: Confidence isn’t the absence of self-doubt. It’s learning to operate alongside it. When I wrote Cues, I interviewed executives who told me their secret wasn’t feeling confident — it was having systems for when they didn’t. Three that work: Keep an evidence file. When someone gives you specific praise, screenshot it. When you nail a presentation, write down what went well. Not to boost your ego — to counter the narrative your brain invents at 2 AM. Name it out loud. Saying “I’m feeling imposter syndrome about this meeting” to a colleague often triggers them to say “me too.” The research shows this normalizing conversation is what helps people move through it. Reframe effort as data. If something feels hard, your brain will whisper “you don’t belong here.” But effort is actually information. It tells you where you’re growing — not where you’re failing. The people who advance aren’t the ones who never doubt themselves. They’re the ones who keep going while doubting. What helps you when imposter feelings hit? I’m genuinely curious — I think we need more practical tactics in this conversation. Sources: - Imposter feelings peak during promotions/transitions — KPMG (2020). “Advancing the Future of Women in Business.” Survey of 750 high-performing executive women. https://lnkd.in/gfNWwRq8 - 71% of U.S. CEOs experience imposter syndrome — Korn Ferry (2024). Workforce 2024 Global Insights Report. Survey of 10,000 global employees. https://lnkd.in/gqXvVRKu - “When I wrote Cues” — Van Edwards, V. (2022). Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication. Portfolio/Penguin. https://lnkd.in/gJKb2uvz

I never set out to build a career in AI. As a kid, I was covered in paint splatters and glued to craft projects. I thought I’d grow up to be an artist. There’s a story behind why I never pursued art professionally (maybe I’ll share that one day). Then, in middle school, I discovered the PC Logo tool 🐢 (IYKYK): making crazy patterns with LT and RT commands, felt just as magical as painting. That creative spark led me to notice something else: I was inherently drawn to physics and math, balancing equations and unraveling logical puzzles- while chemistry and biology never held my attention. My brain craved analytical challenges, and every time I debugged a code or solved a tricky math problems, I felt that same thrill I once got from painting. One of my mentors put it perfectly: “Your superpower lies in what sets you apart. With limited time that all of us have, channel your energy into what makes you unique.” For me, that meant leaning into my love for math and computational thinking, and the joy of discovering how machines learn. Here’s how those pieces came together, and how they might help you find your own path: → Embrace your first sparks. Remember the activities that lit you up, whether that was painting watercolor landscapes or guiding a Logo turtle to draw circles. → Notice your natural inclinations. Which subjects or tasks pull you in? For me, physics equations and algorithmic puzzles were irresistible; biology diagrams, not so much. → Celebrate small wins. Every time you solve a problem, automate a task, or complete a creative project, you build confidence, and momentum. → Lean into what makes you unique. Your blend of strengths, like creativity plus analytics, or storytelling plus data, can become your superpower. → Keep experimenting. Passion often emerges at the intersection of unexpected interests. Try new tools, challenge yourself, and pay attention to where you lose track of time. Your journey won’t look like anyone else’s- and THAT'S the point. Whether you’re mixing paints or writing your first lines of code, those early curiosities can point you toward work you love. ❤️

To Every Young Lawyer (or Professional) Who Feels Like a Fraud—Read This When I started practicing, I felt a pit in my stomach every single day for the first four years. You know the feeling—the part where you’re just faking it, hoping you’ll make it? Exactly. Every matter was unfamiliar. Every client brought something I hadn’t seen. And every time I got a question I couldn’t answer, I questioned whether I belonged. If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You’re not an imposter—you’re just new. And you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is the fear that everyone else knows what they’re doing—and you don’t. But here’s what helped me move past it: 1. I learned that every lawyer—even the most seasoned—encounters problems they’ve never seen before. The law evolves. The facts shift. The people involved are never the same. You don’t stop facing the unknown. You just get better at working through it. 2. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from knowing how to find the answer—and who to call when you can’t. When you run into an issue outside your subject matter, find someone who knows it well. Listen. Learn. And take notes for next time. Build a network of problem-solvers. Get a mentor. Know lawyers in other fields. Build relationships with expert witnesses. Their insight will elevate your thinking and your practice. You’ll know your network is strong when you’re two phone calls away from any answer you need. Be the kind of professional others respect and want to support. And return the favor when your phone rings. You don’t outgrow imposter syndrome—you outsmart it.

Imagine getting a promotion at work but feeling like you're not qualified, despite evidence proving otherwise. This is what imposter syndrome is. Imposter syndrome is when you feel like you don't deserve your success, even though you've worked hard for it. Imposter syndrome can be daunting, but with the right strategies, you can conquer it and build unshakable confidence. Here are some actionable tips to navigate imposter syndrome: 1. **Acknowledge Your Feelings:** It's okay to feel like you don't belong sometimes. Acknowledge these feelings without judgment. 2. **Identify Triggers:** Recognize situations or thoughts that trigger imposter feelings. Awareness is the first step to overcoming them. 3. **Challenge Negative Thoughts:** Replace self-doubt with affirmations. Focus on your achievements and capabilities, not perceived shortcomings. 4. **Set Realistic Goals:** Break big tasks into manageable steps. Celebrate small wins along the way to boost confidence. 5. **Seek Support:** Talk to trusted friends, mentors, or a therapist. Sharing your feelings can provide valuable perspective and support. 6. **Embrace Imperfection:** Perfection is unrealistic. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and a natural part of growth. 7. **Practice Self-Compassion:** Treat yourself with kindness and understanding. Avoid self-criticism and practice self-care regularly. 8. **Visualize Success:** Imagine yourself succeeding in challenging situations. Visualizing positive outcomes can boost confidence and reduce anxiety. 9. **Learn Continuously:** Invest in learning and skill development. The more knowledge you have, the more confident you'll feel in your abilities. 10. **Take Action:** Don't let fear hold you back. Take small steps towards your goals, even if they feel uncomfortable at first. By implementing these strategies, you can navigate imposter syndrome and build lasting confidence in yourself and your abilities. Remember, everyone experiences doubts sometimes, but it's how you respond that makes all the difference. You've got this! #linkedin

👉 Many senior executive women have been promoted for years for one specific skill: They can walk into chaos alone and make it look easy.... Exactly that skill will ruin your reinvention! When a restructure hits, or the big “ex‑” moment comes, this is what many senior women do: Day 3: still on LinkedIn, liking the “so sorry to hear this, you’ll land on your feet” comments. Day 10: The shock wears off, the nervous system is still buzzing, you open a blank doc to “think about what’s next.” And this is where the real danger starts. Because you don’t put what you actually want on that page. You start writing what a “reasonable” version of you would do. • “Maybe I go for a slightly smaller role.” • “Maybe I go back in‑house first before I try my own thing.” • “Maybe I stay in this industry, it’s where my network is.”    By Day 30, you’ve built an entire “next chapter”… that is nothing more than a safety‑optimized remix of the last one. 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀. Here are 5 honest ways to stop doing that to yourself: 1️⃣ Assume your first draft is a downgrade If you wrote your plan alone, assume this: Version 1 is not your dream. It’s your defense. Gut‑check it: If you pitched that plan to your younger self, would she light up or look at you like, “We didn’t go through all of this… for that?” 2️⃣Catch the “good girl in a big job” voice When you think about a bolder move and immediately hear: • “Who do you think you are?” • “Don’t be stupid, you have kids / parents / a mortgage.” • “People will think you’re chasing attention.” Label it: “This is not true., This is my good‑girl identity talking. You don’t negotiate with that voice. You thank it for its service, and shup her up. 3️⃣ Put your real desire in the calendar, not in a journal If you say you want something, it needs a date. • Want to test a portfolio life? Put one paid experiment in the next 60 days. • Want out of your current industry? Put one real conversation in a new one this month. • Want to build something with your own name on it? Put one tiny offer live. If it is not in your calendar, it will never happen. 4️⃣ Stop being the only adult in the room You have spent a career being the grown‑up energy: the one who holds, absorbs, explains, calms. Reinvention needs a room where: • You are not the strongest one by default. • You are allowed to be the messy one. • Other women can look you in the eye and say, “You’re not going back in there smaller. Not on our watch.”    That’s why we built 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲 – 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. It’s for senior executive women who are finally scared of how convincing they are… when they talk themselves out of what they really want. If you recognise yourself in this, capable but alone in your head with a too‑small plan, DM me 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥𝗦. Because if you could have thought your way into the next version of you by yourself, you would have done it already.