198. Rethinking Imposter Syndrome

Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re broken or unqualified.

It often means your world has grown faster than your sense of self. In this episode we go beneath the buzzword of imposter syndrome.

We look at it in a different way, as a signal that your identity is expanding. You’ll learn why fighting it with frantic action rarely works, and what to do instead to grow into steady, grounded confidence that lasts. 

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You've probably heard the term imposter syndrome so many times that it's almost become background noise. Just another label that leaders quietly carry. There has been a lot said about imposter syndrome and imposter phenomenon. Some even argue that it was a term created solely to stop women's progress. There are even entire coaching programs dedicated to helping clients deal with it. But regardless of how you feel about it. I think many of us have had times where we felt like we didn't belong in the position we were in, like we were out over our skis, or acting beyond our current abilities or preparation. Like we needed to learn to fake it until we make it really quick. So acknowledging that, that's a feeling that many of us have had at some point in our lives. I wanna take this opportunity to go a little deeper and look at it in a different way. Perhaps a way that might be a more enduring solution than the advice to fake it until you make it or simply think yourself into being more confident. The question at the core of that, that I'd like to consider is, what if imposter syndrome isn't really a problem to fix, but instead a helpful signal that you're growing? So let's get into it. I'm Terry Schmidt, executive and leadership coach at Strong Leader Serve, where we partner with organizations to prepare leaders for the everyday stretch moments of leadership. Those moments where what got you here isn't going to get you where you need to go, and this is the Strong Leader Serve podcast. All right, so to make this really practical, let's talk about a leader that I will call Maya. Maya had just been promoted. She was now leading people who used to be her peers. Her first big meeting came with senior leadership. She prepared for days, slides, talking points, backup slides for her backup slides. But as the meeting started, that familiar voice whispered in her mind, you don't belong here. They're going to find out you're not ready. She smiled, contributed, even received positive feedback, but afterwards she told me that she felt like she'd fooled everyone. Does that sound familiar? Maybe your version came after a promotion, a new client, or when someone introduced you as an expert and you instantly wanted to hide. We often call it imposter syndrome, but what's really happening beneath that label? If you look back in history, the term imposter syndrome are really imposter phenomenon came from psychologists, Pauline Klan and Suzanne IMEs in the late 1970s. They were studying high achieving woman, who, despite clear success, felt undeserving of their accomplishments. Since then, it's been used to describe anyone who feels like they don't fully belong in a new role, environment, or opportunity. But when we look beneath the buzzword, imposter syndrome isn't just about self-doubt. It's about a mismatch between who we've known ourselves to be and the environment we now find ourselves in. When you step into a new level of leadership, your context expands. Suddenly you're operating in a more complex system. You're leading people with different experiences, juggling competing priorities, and being seen in ways you haven't been before, but your identity. The story you tell yourself about who you are and what you're capable of takes longer to catch up. That's the gap where imposter feelings live. It's the space between your old certainty. And your new complexity. For example, say you're moving into your first leadership role. You're coming from the certainty of being the high performer, knowing that you are the one that people can turn to to get the job done. And in that identity, your focus is on getting others' approval. It feels good. It's safe Now in your new role, your regular behaviors for getting approval are not working anymore. In fact, if you jump in and do the work, that's actually frowned upon, but you want to maintain your existing identity as the one who gets things done. While your new role calls for something much more complex than that, it calls for you to empower others to get things done. You're still seeing yourself through yesterday's lens, even though your new world now demands something more. That gap can create dissonance. You might feel like you're pretending when in reality you're just in transit and if you don't recognize that you need to shift that part of your identity, you will never fully feel adequate or qualified in your new role. Regardless of how many leadership development courses you take, imposter syndrome often isn't an indication that you're unqualified. But instead an indication that you need to shift part of your identity. This takes intentional effort that often feels uncomfortable, but it's uncomfortable for a reason. And that reason has everything to do with how your brain works. As we've talked about many times, your brain loves predictability. It equates familiarity with safety. So when your environment changes faster than your sense of self, your brain sounds the alarm. It's saying, this feels uncertain. This feels risky. Let's pull back. That's why imposter syndrome often comes with strong physical sensations. Your heart racing, your voice shaking, your mind, spinning. It's your nervous system trying to keep you safe. But here's the reframe. Your brain isn't wrong to alert you. It's just misinterpreting what's happening. It's seeing growth as danger when really. It's transformation. So instead of trying to silence the imposter voice or power through it, what if you listened to it differently? What if you treated it as a signal that your context has outgrown your current self story, your current identity, and that your work isn't to prove yourself, but to become yourself in this new space? When imposter thoughts hit, most leaders do one of two things. They either double down on doing, trying to earn their place by working harder, mastering new skills, and collecting more proof of competence, or they pull back, staying quiet to avoid exposure. Both responses make sense, but both also miss the deeper opportunity. Now I do agree that one way to feel better, as I saw posted on LinkedIn recently, is to find small tasks of your new role that align with your strengths and just get out there and take action. That does give you some reps to build confidence, but that confidence will be much more durable and long lasting. When you also do the inner work of aligning who you are with the new world that you're leading in, here are a few ideas to get started with that first pause and name it when that anxious voice says you don't belong here. Try responding. This is a stretch moment that simple reframe reminds your brain that discomfort is not danger, it's growth. Second shift from performance to learning when you're looking at evaluating your behavior. Carol Dweck's Research on growth Mindset shows that when we define success as learning and improving, mistakes become opportunities for feedback instead of evidence that we're a fraud. You don't have to be flawless. You just have to be learning third ground in what's constant. Your values, and your strengths are the stable foundation beneath any changing role. When everything feels new, go back to what's always been true about you and lead from there. Fourth, let your identity catch up. Instead of frantically adding new skills, spend time reflecting on the kind of leader you're becoming. Ask yourself, what new ways of thinking or being will this role require of me that identity work builds a kind of confidence that lasts far longer than any checklist of competencies or skills. And lastly, don't forget those around you. Connect with people who see the real you and imposter thoughts grow in isolation. Sharing your experiences with trusted peers or mentors or a coach can remind you that this is a shared human experience. Not a personal flaw. Now, as I said, it's so tempting when you feel like an imposter to rush into action. To read more books, collect more feedback, get another certification, hoping the right skill will erase the doubt. But that rarely works because imposter syndrome isn't about capability. It's about identity. When you slow down and do the inner work, when you let your identity grow into alignment with your new context. You build confidence that's not dependent on external validation. You stop performing for belonging and start leading from authenticity and that kind of confidence. The quiet, steady kind spills out to your team when they see you modeling self-compassion and growth. They feel permission to do the same, and that's how imposter moments become collective growth moments. So maybe imposter syndrome isn't a sign that you're a fraud. Maybe it's an invitation to slow down, breathe, and grow into the bigger version of yourself that your world now requires. It's not something to cure, it's something to listen to because every time you step into a bigger arena, there will be a gap between who you've been and who you're becoming. That gap isn't proof that you don't belong. It's proof that you're evolving. So here's a reflection challenge for you for this week. I want you to think of a moment recently when you felt out of your depth. Ask yourself if this feeling isn't proof that I'm inadequate, what if it's proof that I'm expanding? Then take a few minutes to ask what part of me needs to grow into this opportunity? And if you lead others, remember when your team members share imposter feelings, resist the urge to just reassure them. Instead, help them see the growth beneath the discomfort. Because when leaders normalize that, we create cultures where stretch and safety coexist. And that's where true development happens. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a fellow leader who might need that reminder today. And if you'd like, support navigating your own stretch moments, of course, I would love to partner with you through one-on-one coaching or one of our group programs at Strong Leaders Serve. You can learn more@strongleadersserve.com. Until next time, stay grounded, grow with intention, and keep leading strong.