Have you ever felt out of place, overwhelmed, or like you weren’t good enough?
You’re not alone.
More than 70% of people have experienced imposter syndrome, and it’s especially common in leaders.
Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you’re a fraud. It’s self-doubt that you’re not good enough, and sometimes that doubt can become crippling.
The key to imposter syndrome isn’t avoiding it, but rather acknowledging the feelings and pushing through them.
Here are lessons from five leaders on how they dealt with imposter syndrome in their own lives.
Kathy Mazzarella: Take Uncomfortable Positions
Kathy Mazzarella has spent her entire career at Graybar, where she is now CEO. Over the last 40 years, she has had 15 different positions. Her biggest personal growth came from the uncomfortable jobs when she didn’t know what she was doing. She told me this: “You learn the most about yourself and develop the most skills when you’re thrown into an environment where you’re not the expert.” Kathy believes that taking the easy route can put leaders on autopilot instead of pushing them to learn and stay focused. Her key to overcoming imposter syndrome is to jump headfirst into uncomfortable jobs and experiences and use them as a chance to learn. Depend on your team and ask people for their input. If you feel in over your head, learn from the people around you, listen, and apply what you learn.
Kate Johnson: Talk It Out
Whenever Kate Johnson, President of Microsoft US, feels overwhelmed or discouraged, she talks it through with her husband. Talking through her emotions and experiences helps her feel better, and she recommends everyone finds someone they can talk to, such as a friend, a parent, or a spouse. By naming the issue, Kate knows what to focus on instead of having an unnamed monster. She can define the exact area she is overwhelmed or nervous about and then chip away at the problem, instead of having something large doesn’t know how to address.
Shawn Riegsecker: Push Yourself Each Day
Shawn Riegsecker, CEO of Centro, knows that every leader faces ups and downs, including dealing with imposter syndrome. His advice is to do the things that give you the confidence to do just a little bit more the next day. He believes the greatest point of growth occurs when you push yourself outside your comfort zone. Throughout his career, Shawn has pushed himself each day to pay attention to what’s happening in the world around him and developing younger employees. He finds tasks that build his knowledge and confidence and then uses those to build him up and push him forward.
Melissa Smith: Learn To Switch Off Your Internal Critic
Everyone faces doubt and uncertainty, but Melissa Smith, CEO of WEX Inc., believes the secret to overcoming imposter syndrome is to learn to switch off your internal critic. There will always be a voice in your head saying you can’t do something, but the best leaders learn to tone it down and not pay attention. Melissa says it’s important to pay attention to external voices and find positive feedback while avoiding the naysayers. When someone says she can’t do something, she takes it as a challenge. Melissa uses external critics as motivation to succeed, gain confidence, and keep pushing forward.
Mark Lashier: Be Humble
Being humble may seem like an odd way to fight imposter syndrome, but Mark Lashier, former President & CEO of CPChem, believes the best leaders are humble and practice integrity. In his mind, humility means that you have enough self-confidence that you don’t have to put yourself ahead of others. He told me this: “The more you advance in your career, the less it’s about what you do and the more it is about what other people do, what you do to help them, and the barriers you can remove to help them succeed.” If you feel imposter syndrome coming on, focus on being humble and lifting the people around you however you can.
Imposter syndrome may manifest itself differently in each person. But that means there are also multiple ways to overcome it. These successful leaders show the prevalence of imposter syndrome and what happens when you put in the work to overcome it.
When you feel discouraged, keep pushing through. Talk it out. Get uncomfortable. Stay humble.
That’s where the real growth happens that can shape your entire career.
You’re not alone.
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