Struggling with self-doubt? You’re not the problem

Any human being who is told over and over again that they don’t belong, is bound to doubt themselves.?

Imposter Syndrome is described as a type of self-doubt in intellect, skills or accomplishments among high-achievers.?

It’s a phrase world-renowned human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson doesn’t like.?

The reason why, she revealed at the 2024 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards, a night I don’t think any of us will forget.?

If Robinson was to visit her 15-year-old self and tell her all the things she would be doing right now, she says that young girl would be gobsmacked.?

Giving a keynote at an event like this, representing clients like Julian Assange or Amber Heard, assisting Vanuatu in driving climate change action through the International Court of Justice, sitting next to Anna Wintour at the wedding of Amal and George Clooney – are not things that young girl from “Bomo” High could have ever imagined.??

Robinson’s journey to this day has been one filled with grit, years of hard work and a young girl’s aspiration to dream big despite what she saw around her in Bomaderry, New South Wales.?

But along the way, her talent, effort and incredible achievements have been minimised in both subtle and obvious ways.

From relentless comments like “are you the secretary?” or “who did you sleep with to get that?” through to experiencing sexual harassment at law firms, Robinson like many women reading this right now, was told over and over again that she did not belong. ?

And herein lies her issue with “imposter syndrome”.?

Any human being who is told over and over again that they don’t matter or belong, is bound to doubt themselves.?

She said it’s a “natural reaction” to the structures around us, not a pathology.?

“We absolutely come up against structural barriers when we’re either told explicitly or implicitly that we don’t belong in a room,’ she said.

“Now, I know I belong in those rooms … I’m proud of the work I do … but I’ve had to overcome many obstacles.

“This is not that there’s something wrong with me or that I don’t feel like I belong.

"I’m in places where we traditionally have not belonged but we’re still not treated with the respect that we deserve and we continually have to take up space and be unapologetic about it.”?

I hope in recognising this, it lifts some of the pressure you’ve been feeling to fight self-doubt because as Robinson points out, you’re not the problem.?

Read more on Women’s Agenda.

In case you missed it!?

Women “literally changing the world” were recognised at #WALA24. The event held in Melbourne on Wednesday night saw some of the brightest minds across every industry from science and tech to business celebrated. Read more about them here.

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