Think back to when you were a kid and you were afraid there were monsters in your room. You’d hide under the covers, on high alert, holding your breath, tuned in to every sound, and absolutely panicked they’d discover you.

Waiting to be exposed, to be found out, is exhausting.

It paralyzes us, holds us back, and prevents us from reaching our highest potential. It can even derail our career.

Even writing this, I am vaguely unnerved by the idea that I am completely unqualified to do so. Who on earth do I think I’m fooling?

Almost everyone feels the same way at some point.

We want others to think we’re the person in our professional mug shots - dashing, debonair, organized, qualified, fabulously unruffled.

When in truth what’s probably going on inside, is something more like the image you see upn above.

We’re high-achievers - intelligent, educated, and experienced. We have expertise in droves.

And a petulant little voice inside our head that says, “you’re not good enough.”

That voice is a bully and it’s been lying to you your entire life. It wants you to believe you are a fake. A phony. A poser.

An imposter.

The imposter syndrome is real. It affects high achievers, especially accomplished women, causing us to doubt our expertise. It’s a nagging feeling that we’re going to be found out and exposed as a fraud.

Who do you think you are?

You can’t possibly pull this off.

Someone is going to discover you have no idea what you’re talking about.

You’re going to fail and everyone is going to laugh at you.

Okay, I get it, but what’s the big deal? Why does it matter?

Because the imposter syndrome kicks in every time you try to disrupt the status quo. It matters, because every time you give in to the lies, you confine your potential to the container of your fear.

The last time you got a promotion or assumed a new role or tried something new, you probably felt unqualified.

Which makes sense when you think about it. You’re not qualified to do something you’ve never actually done. But you are qualified to start.

So, how do you take charge of our inner imposter and un-stifle your true potential? Here are three steps to get you started:

Step 1 - Question your assumptions.

Write down your accomplishments at the end of every day. When you review them every week, you’ll have a better understanding of how good you really are.

Step 2 - Redefine competence.

In the military, we had 5 basic responses. Yes, no, no excuse, aye aye, and I’ll find out. Leading yourself or anyone else doesn’t mean you have all the answers. It means you’re smart enough to ask the right questions.

Step 3 - Remember your childhood.

The things that made you laugh and gave you energy are clues to who you really are. Your ability to finally be taken seriously will always lie in your willingness to be truly authentic.

When you were kid, you were a heretic. You pushed the boundaries. You questioned everything. You asked “why” a lot. And you often didn’t take no for an answer.

So let’s get back to being the heretics we used to be. Tell your imposter to take a hike. Stand in defiance of the people who are still saying things like “that will never work” or “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

You can choose the safety of conformity and approval, or the breathtaking and exhilarating transformation that comes from true self-leadership.

Ready? Take charge!

Imposter syndrome is real. It tends to affect high-achievers more than any other psychographic — especially women — and includes creatives like inventors, founders, and entrepreneurs.

When it hits new business owners, it’s both subtle and powerful, causing them to doubt their accomplishments and preventing them from taking necessary risks.

Left unchecked, imposter syndrome can derail your entire business.

Signs of Imposter Syndrome

If you’ve ever had a nagging feeling that you’re just not qualified to be in your position or that someone is going to come along and expose you as a fraud, it’s likely you’ve experienced imposter syndrome. It sounds a lot like a petulant little voice inside your head that whispers things like:

• You’re not good enough.

• You’re not fooling anyone.

• Who do you think you are?

• You can’t possibly pull this off.

• You have no business doing this.

• They’re going to discover you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Thinking you’ll be “found out” and judged viciously is the hallmark of imposter syndrome. The truth is, that nasty little voice is a bully, and it’s been lying to you your entire life.

How to Beat Imposter Syndrome

1. Recognize it for what it is.

At its core, the imposter phenomenon is a desire to confirm your self-concept by keeping you entrenched in your comfort zone.

Your sense of who you are and what you’re capable of is formed early in life. When you accomplish things after the bulk of your self-concept is formed, you tend to discount those accomplishments because they don’t match what you learned to believe about yourself early on.

Because of this, you might discount the things you accomplish as adults because they don’t fit with the early-life version of yourself. Simply put, imposter syndrome is a way for your mind to match what you do with who it thinks you are.

2. Engage it directly.

Like a demanding toddler, it will only get louder if you pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead, simply acknowledge it exists and move ahead in spite of it. Each time you hear its words in your head, reply using one of these words or phrases: nevertheless, noted, however, perhaps, maybe, if you say so or in any event.

For example,

“Yes, I’m not as experienced as my competitor, nevertheless I’m doing it anyway.”

Other responses might sound like this:

You’re not good enough.
Perhaps, but I’m good enough to start.

You’ll never be good enough.
If you say so but that’s not going to stop me.

You can’t possibly pull this off.
Nevertheless, watch me.

They’re going to discover you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Noted. I’m saying it anyway.

You’re going to fail, and everyone is going to laugh at you.
Maybe but this is totally happening.

3. Assume an alter ego.

Todd Herman, the author of The Alter Ego Effect, describes a technique to overcome fear and self-doubt. He asks his readers to try assuming the identity of someone they see as fully capable in order to achieve great things.

It’s a powerful counter to the imposter phenomenon because it allows us to step outside of ourselves and behave “as if” we had embraced our accomplishments instead of diminishing them.

4. Think back to when you were a kid.

Let’s face it, as a child you were a heretic. Your job was to push all the boundaries, question everything, be ridiculously curious, ask “why” a lot, and not take no for an answer.

Every time you give in to the lies of your inner imposter, you lose your ability to fulfill your highest potential.

As a business builder, it’s critical you identify when imposter syndrome takes hold so you can stop questioning your abilities, counter it effectively, and move forward with confidence.

Take charge!
Ann

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By now you’ve heard the term “imposter syndrome” or “imposter phenomenon.” Yeah, it’s a real thing.

A relentless fear of being exposed as a fraud.

Essentially, it’s what happens when a high-achiever doesn’t internalize their lifelong accomplishments and continues to think of themselves as who they were “way back then.”

We tend to form our identities in late adolescence and early adulthood, so regardless of what comes after that, we think of ourselves as still being about that age. (Which explains why I’m so shocked when I look in the mirror and see my mother looking back at me.)

Just about everyone has experienced the effects of the imposter phenomenon at some time in their life. Recognize any of this inner dialogue?

• Who do you think you are?

• You’re not good enough.

• You’re not fooling anyone.

• You’re the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

• You have no idea what you’re talking about and they’re all going to find out.

Let’s be clear: that nasty little voice in your head is a bully and it’s been lying to you your whole life.

The imposter syndrome often shows as perfectionism.

Being a perfectionist (guilty!) keeps lots of us stuck because we think everything has to be perfect in order to move forward.

But that’s simply not true.

What is true is that as soon as we begin to move forward, we discover we know a lot more than we thought. The simple act of moving puts the imposter syndrome in its place.

One of the ways to combat imposter syndrome is to re-frame the way you think about yourself.

I’m a big believer in the power of questions because our brain is wired to answer the question it is asked. As an executive coach, I’ve often used targeted questions to create clarity and insight, sometimes instantly.

So the next time you feel don’t think you know enough, ask your “inner imposter:”

“Yes, but do I know enough to start?”

Now get out there and take charge!
- Ann

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