Shorting the Leadership Imposter Syndrome Through Executive Coaching

Ever felt like a fraud, despite all your achievements? Like you are just winging it and any minute now, people will find out you don't belong? That nagging sense of intellectual phoniness is what psychologists call "imposter syndrome." It was coined by Dr Pauline Clance and Dr Suzanne Imes way back in 1978, describing people's inability to internalise their accomplishments and efforts.

Most early research saw imposter syndrome as a hardwired personality trait, rooted in family dynamics. But more recent studies suggest it can be triggered by situational factors (Hutchins & Rainbolt, 2017; Kark, 2021). There is even debate around what to call it - syndrome, phenomenon, feeling, fear? The original researcher Dr Pauline Clance admitted she might have labelled it the "imposter experience" since it's not a clinical disorder, just something almost everyone goes through (Cuddy, 2015).

One thing's clear - imposter syndrome haunts high achievers across all career stages and paths. Experts estimate 70% of people feel like impostors at some point (Gravois, 2007). So, executives, you are definitely not alone.

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The Imposter Executive's Plight

For leaders battling imposter feelings, that constant self-doubt can be utterly exhausting. Success doesn't bring satisfaction, just fear of failure or being exposed as a sham. Performance anxiety fuels perfectionism and overwork in a vicious, self-destructive cycle. Research shows that perfectionism dimensions like doubting actions, fearing mistakes, and societal pressures directly correlate with imposter syndrome (Pannhausen et al., 2020).

The very strengths that propelled you to leadership - attention to detail, high standards - can become hindrances. That perfectionist streak makes it tough to delegate, leading to burnout from the relentless overwork. It fosters a distrustful culture where perfection is demanded from everyone.

Imposter thoughts cloud judgment and risk-aversion, hampering a leader's ability to boldly execute their vision. In our complex, fast-changing world, executives need the courage to make tough calls and rally others. Yet imposter syndrome breeds hesitancy.

Those self-doubting leaders may unwittingly pass that perfectionism vibe to their team, piling on impossible tasks. In finance, some traders set themselves unrealistic compensation targets. Despite their successes, there is always someone earning more, fuelling self-blame.

Organisational factors like role transitions, ambiguity, and mismatched expectations exacerbate the imposter feelings. Left unchecked, it culminates in burnout, exhaustion, stress, and lack of motivation (Gullifor et al., 2023). Not an ideal leadership state!

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The Gender Factor

Early on, imposter syndrome was assumed to predominantly affect women (Clance & Imes, 1978). But later studies found men experience it just as much, at least among marketing managers (Fried-Buchalter, 1997).

This disparity may stem from how we socialise competence. Masculine traits like assertiveness and ambition are tied to competence. But feminine traits like nurturing and compassion are more associated with kindness. So women often underplay their capabilities, and then struggle to command authority once in power. Since imposter syndrome is fundamentally about questioning one's competence, it gets culturally coded as a female issue (Menon & Aparna, 2020). As imposter expert Valerie Young says, "Every imposter has a distorted competence view" (Young, 2011).

However, the modern leadership paradigm of humility and vulnerability means men may be increasingly vulnerable too. After all, males are typically less comfortable discussing emotions and self-doubts. Brene Brown's influential work links openness to better mental health (Brown, 2007). Though we need to watch out for humbleness drifting into unhealthy self-diminishment (Kets de Vries, 2005).

Current research confirms - no gender has a monopoly on imposter feelings. Young's studies highlight it across genders and careers, including top executive roles. Imposter syndrome is truly an equal opportunity drainer of confidence and potential.

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Shedding the Imposter Mindset

So what is an earnest, high-achieving leader to do? The most powerful antidotes are mindfulness and visualisation - though they require serious self-reflection, discipline and persistence.

Organisational psychologists promote mindfulness as a game-changer for developing leaders (Bunting, 2016; Reitz & Chaskalson, 2016; Hougaard & Carter, 2018). Being grounded and self-aware drives better performance, decision-making and self-efficacy.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. It shows self-awareness, not weakness. An executive coach can be an invaluable partner, providing a confidential sounding board to unpack doubts. Coaches use reflective inquiry to enable executives to build self-insight and introduce new perspectives. Coaching allows leaders a rare safe space to voice fears, reframe self-criticism into productive thinking, and rewrite their unhelpful "competence rulebook" (Young, 2011).

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The Value of Executive Coaching

Leaders often feel pressure to have all the answers and can be reluctant to expose uncertainty. A coach offers a trusted partner to privately untangle doubts. My "Seeing Through the Fog" signature coaching programme is designed specifically for leaders navigating today's ambiguity and disruption.

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The key components of the Seeing Through The Fog coaching programme are:

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·???????? Process mindset to spot blind spots

·???????? Clarity amidst uncertainty

·???????? Empowered, value-aligned decisions

·???????? Paradox navigation and resilience

·???????? Embracing vulnerability

·???????? Unlocking creativity and growth

·???????? Conflict management and bouncing back

The coaching programme is about developing emotional intelligence, self-awareness and leveraging innate strengths. With guidance, leaders gain the mindset and toolbox to thrive through even the foggiest complexities.

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Conclusion

Let's face it - imposter feelings are par for the course in any demanding, intellectually charged field like executive leadership. We humans are terrible at accurately judging our weaknesses and competencies.

Leaders are uniquely vulnerable since they often go it alone with few confidantes. Balancing humility with the authority to enact lasting change is a tightrope walk. But with a coach's support, executives can nurture self-reflection, resilience and emotional wisdom. It empowers them to embody that authenticity and vulnerability that truly inspires others.

Leadership is a lifelong journey of growth and mastery. Even impostors can learn to adopt the mindset of an impactful, genuine leader.

Let’s work together! Contact me at [email protected] for a free introductory call to explore how I can help you See Through the Fog!

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References:

Brown B., 2007, I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough": Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Penguin Publishing Group

Bunting, M., 2016. The mindful leader: 7 practices for transforming your leadership, your organisation and your life. John Wiley & Sons.

Clance, P.R. and Imes, S.A., 1978. The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), pp.241. Clance, P.R., 1985. The impostor phenomenon: Overcoming the fear that haunts your success (Vol. 209). Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers

Cuddy, A., 2015. Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. Little, Brown & Company

Fried-Buchalter, S., 1997. Fear of success, fear of failure, and the imposter phenomenon among male and female marketing managers. Sex roles, 37(11-12), pp.847-859

Gravois, J., 2007. You're Not Fooling Anyone. Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(11)

Gullifor D. et all, 2023, The impostor phenomenon at work: A systematic evidence[1]based review, conceptual development, and agenda for future Research, Journal of Organisational Behavior, The impostor phenomenon at work: A systematic evidence‐based review, conceptual development, and agenda for future research - Gullifor - 2024 - Journal of Organizational Behavior - Wiley Online Library

Hougaard, R. and Carter, J., 2018. The mind of the leader: How to lead yourself, your people, and your organization for extraordinary results. Harvard Business Press.

Hutchins, H.M. and Rainbolt, H., 2017. What triggers imposter phenomenon among academic faculty? A critical incident study exploring antecedents, coping, and development opportunities. Human Resource Development International, 20(3), pp.194-214

Kark, R., Meister, A., & Peters, K. (2021). Now you see me, now you don't: A conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of leader impostorism. Journal of Management, 1–32

Kets de Veries M., (2005), The Dangers of Feeling Like a Fake, Harvard Business Review, The Dangers of Feeling Like a Fake ( hbr.org )

Menon, Preetha & K H, Aparna. (2020). Impostor Syndrome: An Integrative Framework of its Antecedents, Consequences and Moderating Factors on Sustainable Leader Behaviors. European Journal of Training and Development

Pannhausen, S., Klug, K., & Rohrmann, S. (2020). Never good enough: The relation between the impostor phenomenon and multidimensional perfectionism. Current Psychology, 1-14, 888–901

Reitz, M. and Chaskalson, M., 2016. How to bring mindfulness to your company’s leadership. Harvard Business Review

Young, V., 2011. The secret thoughts of successful women: Why capable people suffer from the impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. Crown Business.

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