Imposter Syndrome in Leadership

Have you ever walked into a room and felt “I don’t belong here?” and feared ‘being found out?’ Well, you are not alone. Many high-performing professionals and leaders feel this – they feel like an imposter.

But the thing about imposter syndrome – it’s not a medical diagnosis. It’s a label, it’s a self-created label, you choose to believe in. And those kinds of labels can keep us stuck if we buy into them.

Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder of Atlassian, shared in an amazing – and worthwhile watching TedTalk – how he once sat in board meetings scribbling down acronyms he didn’t understand. Just to Google them later, feeling like an imposter. But in the end, he didn’t let the label “imposter” define him. Instead, he leaned in, learned quickly and stretched beyond his comfort zone.

And that’s the point: imposter thoughts don’t mean you’re not belonging – they often mean you’re growing – and sometimes too quickly.

The danger is owning the label – “I am an imposter” – instead of noticing it as a passing story and seeing it for what it is – moving through growth.

True conscious leadership is choosing awareness over identity: I notice the thought, I notice the feeling, but I’m not identifying with the label.

So, the question is: What becomes possible if you stop saying, “This is who I am” – and start saying, “This is my experience. And this is what I’m moving through”?