How Imposter Syndrome May Be Crushing Your Leaders’ Ability to Achieve Results

Welcome back to the Growing Leaders in Business newsletter!

In this edition, we’re focusing on how Imposter Syndrome could be holding your leaders back from reaching their full potential—and taking your team’s performance down with it.

It’s that time of year when projects are wrapping up, budgets are being evaluated, and everyone’s looking at whether those big goals set at the start of the year have been met.

But often, they haven’t. Projects are stuck in limbo, with too many people hesitant to make decisions and take action. This can be frustrating and costly, but here’s the thing: the reasons aren’t always clear.

Have you ever wondered why things stalled?

- It’s not because people don’t care.

- It’s not because they lack capability.

- And it’s definitely not intentional.

So, what’s really stopping teams from taking action, making decisions, and getting things done?

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Imposter Syndrome: The Hidden Block to Achievement

In many organisations, I believe Imposter Syndrome in leaders is a major cause of underperformance. Research shows that a lack of confidence impacts leaders’ ability to make decisions, influence others, and drive their team forward. When leaders doubt themselves, they often stall, holding their team back from achieving real progress.

Big goals require change—and to embrace change, leaders and their teams need the confidence to move beyond the comfort zone. But Imposter Syndrome often creates a sense of self-doubt that prevents people from taking that leap. They worry about failing, getting rejected, or not being “good enough.” This self-protection instinct means they’re more likely to stick to what’s “safe” and familiar, even if it doesn’t move the organisation forward.

As a result, leaders and teams end up in a cycle of mediocrity, where actions are postponed, risks are avoided, and progress is stalled.

Imagine a Confident, Capable Leadership Team

What if leaders could step up, free from self-doubt, and confidently take bold action? Imagine a team culture where leaders feel secure in their ideas, collaborate freely, and inspire their team to make big moves without fear.

With a confident leadership team:

- Teams would feel safe to take risks and push boundaries.

- Leaders would inspire a culture of trust and collaboration.

- Projects would be completed on time and on budget.

The culture would shift from risk-averse and stagnant to energised and action-oriented, where everyone is motivated to contribute and achieve goals together.

Building Confidence: The A, B, C Formula for Leadership

To cultivate a confident leadership culture, three key elements need to be in place:

1. A – Advantage: Leaders need clear rewards and recognition for taking action and making things happen.

2. B – Belief: Leaders need to believe in their own capabilities.

3. C – Culture: A supportive culture that fosters trust and vulnerability.

Today, let’s focus on Belief—because when leaders truly believe in themselves, they’re empowered to make decisions confidently, collaborate openly, and create an environment where team members feel secure to do the same.

But that doesn't happen by default.

It's estimated that 78% of leaders will suffer from Imposter Syndrome, yet that's only the ones who admit it. So we need to tackle this issue if we want to create performance.

Tackling Imposter Syndrome at Its Core

To overcome Imposter Syndrome, we must first bring it into the open and normalise the conversation. By acknowledging Imposter Syndrome, leaders can begin to move past it and build genuine confidence in their capabilities.

As leaders start to embrace their value, they’ll model the behaviour for their teams, inspiring a culture of trust, collaboration, and action.

Let’s Tackle This Together

If you notice a lack of action or a culture of risk-aversion within your organisation, it may be time to address Imposter Syndrome directly. Think Be Do Leadership specialises in helping leaders grow in confidence, capability, and impact.

Through Lunch & Learn sessions, Workshops, and One-to-One Coaching, we can help your leaders break free from self-doubt and inspire a culture of bold action and collaboration.

Ready to make it happen? Email me at [email protected] to discuss how we can support you in building a thriving, confident team.

Julie Hutchison

Leadership Coach, Think Be Do Leadership

Email: [email protected]