Impostor syndrome: Why women leaders often fail to own their success

Imposter syndrome is an all too common feeling for senior female leaders in the corporate world. 75% of female execs have felt like an imposter during their career. That sense of feeling like a fraud, about to be found out and doubting your skills and expertise.?

I know for me, the more senior I became the more the nag of not feeling good enough would play in my mind.

You’ll always be an imposter when NOT being yourself. Role model leaders see around us and adapt to culture. Who do we need to be to succeed rather than who we are.?

YOU first, become world leading authority in you… values, belief, story, language and magic.

What is Imposter Syndrome??

Imposter syndrome is that sense of being found out, the persistent inability to believe your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your own efforts or skills.

The term was first used by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s.

When the concept of Imposter Syndrome was introduced, it was originally thought to apply mostly to high-achieving women. Since then, it has been recognized as more widely experienced.

92% of professionals (men and women) have experienced it, 75% senior female leaders.

At the heart of it is a mismatch between the:?

External reality - You’re a powerful female leader, respected for your expertise and recognised for your contribution with the successful lifestyle to match.?

Internal perception: You’ve fluked getting to where you are, you don’t deserve it and you feel less than your peers, you’re fighting to be heard and you don’t deserve the lifestyle you have.

And that mismatch flows out into feelings of:?

• Sleepless nights worrying about work, replying to that email or that difficult conversation you’ve been dreading.
• Dreading Mondays, for fear of something going wrong this week and the daily battle to feel respected and recognised.?
• Not being able to switch off at night or weekends, overly checking emails and ruminating over your next presentation.?

Impact of Imposter Syndrome

• An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
• Attributing your success to external factors, “luck” “right place, right time”
• Berating your performance, focus on “failing” not seeing positive?
• Fear that you won't live up to expectations, the highest being yours
• Overachieving, and overgiving to really demonstrate NOT being an imposter?
• Sabotaging your own success, e.g. not self promoting as don’t believe in your impact and influence
• Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short, when not real to star

Why do Women Leaders?Struggle More with Imposter Syndrome??

1. Role models - Lack of strong, powerful female leaders it’s hard to be what you can’t see. And that fear of walking down a new path on your own, showing the way for others with the pressures that go with it.?
2. Alpha style leadership - The most familiar style of leadership in many corporates is still that powerful alpha, masculine leader. This is not to say that is right or wrong BUT aspiring leaders will change, compromise and compare to this, setting their standards to what has succeeded before.?
3. Fear being judged - Fear of standing out and being judged for being too loud, too?
4. Childhood beliefs

The Truth about Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is NOT a condition NOT a syndrome, NOT a recognised disorder it's simply self doubt in fancy shoes when stepping into the new.?

It’s normal feelings of worry and a wobble when stepping into a new skill, area or role, weighted on your shoulders with a label attributed heavily to female leaders. It’s so prevalent, it’s almost become expected.

Are we not propagating this myth of imposter syndrome by labelling normal nerves as something more?

Instead be kind to yourself, like a baby learning to walk, the baby is NOT stupid for not knowing. We just simply support it to learn a lifetime skill to master it.?

TRUTHBOMB: You’ll always be an imposter when NOT being yourself. Role model leaders see around us and adapt to culture. Who do we need to be to succeed rather than who we are. Always feel like an imposter until you show up as YOU! Show up, speak up with your whole self to shake things up at work.?

How to STOP Feeling like an Imposter

- Point 1: Learn YOU - Become the world leading expert in YOU, to then lead in your own way. STOP changing and compromising who you are, instead go deep into knowing to own who you are

- Point 2: Growing pains - As you move up the corporate ladder, there is more responsibility that comes with more expectation and the pressure you put upon yourself. KNOW that it’s okay to learn as you go, ask questions and have wobbles and worries. They’re simply growing pains.

- Point 3: Fear and excitement are the same thing - Physiologically in the body, these two contracting emotions either led by fear or faith are down to the labels you give them. You can chose to feel scared or excited and step into that giddy excitement or gnawing fear.

- Point 4: Know being YOU is enough - You are a 400 trillion to one freak of nature for even being born, remind yourself of that when you don’t feel enough. You have a passion and purpose, a reason for being.?

- Point 5: Lead curiosity, care and connection … learning over knowing.If you want help to refind your fire and truly know yourself, I have space to work with me on my Find Your Fire Focused programme. Drop me a message or?book a call with me here.

If you found this useful please share, and here’s my Overwhelm to On Fire: The 5 Minute Head Clearing Checklist for Women in the Corporate World …?just click here to download your FREE copy!

Big love

Nic

Nicola Skorko Website

Book a Call with Nic