Why I will never run a workshop on ‘overcoming imposter syndrome’

WB Directors?runs a LOT of professional development events. Over 100 so far this year, with more than 5,000 attendees – both in-house for our Corporate Partners workshops and within our thriving Women on Boards UK network.?

These span a huge range of topics. Our network events and workshops focus very much on the ‘on Boards’ part of our network’s name, with updates on Cyber Security or smaller ‘Meet the Headhunters’ sessions. We also look at career resilience and leadership skills for our earlier-career members – with highly practical sessions on ‘Getting heard in meetings’, ‘Managing your career’ or ‘Leading with purpose’.

One topic that is frequently suggested to us is ‘Overcoming Imposter Syndrome’. These suggestions tend to come from other women’s networks or the coaching industry, and interestingly these suggestions do not come from our members.

Whilst I’m open to new ideas - indeed I thrive on them - I’m increasingly worried by the constant, overuse and reference to women and the term ‘Imposter Syndrome’ in general.?

I recognise the value in doing some inner work and focus to build your resilience as a leader. Our ‘Leading purposefully’ workshops invite our participants to examine their motivations and align their values with their leadership style in a very practical way – it pays dividends in times when you need to dig deep and make choices as a leader. The research on this is clear. Fear and worry are what stops you in your tracks, and forces you to assess risk and appreciate what might be different around you. Fear is a powerful emotion when used correctly and it is this fear that might help you need to run in a new and potentially more rewarding direction. ?

But the more I think about it, the more I think imposter syndrome as a concept is damaging to women’s advancement. It frames normal levels of self-doubt as a ‘syndrome’, and in some instances I have seen some even suggest that it is a weakness that you should not show. I view self-doubt as a strength, because it comes from our natural animal ‘fight or flight’ instincts. ?To me fear, and to a degree worry, is a good thing assuming you can control your emotions. It is how you deal with the information in front of you that matters. For example; fear should help you search and seek for more information and use your natural intellectual curiosity, your expertise and of course your judgement to influence your next move.?

Research indicates intelligent people worry more. They know what they don’t know, and they seek out the extra information they might need to make better decisions for competitive advantage. Being over-confident is rarely a good trait today in today’s complex, fast moving and often chaotic world.?

Being able to make decisions and then constantly reassess is what really matters in front of you, alongside your ability as a leader to work in and with other groups.?

The real issue in my view comes when one is not given the right information, or information is held back by others, when you need to make choices whilst playing on an un-level playing field. A playing field that is out of date, and not designed to include all of those able and who also want to win. Win for themselves, win for their organisation and win for society. To me it is the system that is syndrome and not the person. Which is why today more and more companies are looking at their culture as they support leaders to level the playing field so that they can lead a team of difference and innovation.?

I am a little late to this, but Reshma Saujani , CEO of Moms First , put it best in her Smith College Commencement Address talk last year. Here she looks back at the affliction of ‘bicycle face’ being used to dissuade young ladies from using what was often their only means of independent travel. Now it seems laughable, but the effect at the time was to stop many women asserting this basic autonomy over who they associated with. No doubt, women attending feminist gatherings were particularly afflicted!??

Reshma is right to draw parallels with ‘imposter syndrome’ being planted as a self-limiting factor. By using the term we are, I believe, intentionally or unintentionally holding people back.

Rather than something to be overcome, we should be saying that self-doubt should be championed and that leaders with doubt should be admired. Good leaders use their critical thinking skills to see their weaknesses, and improve on them. In fact, I would go even further and say that those with no touch of imposter syndrome should actively cultivate some. Second guess yourself, take advice, understand where you need support – and show that leadership is not about being the best player on the field, but the captain of a team. Good leaders are effectively talented listening maestros, without which the world would not be able to make music.

Actually, maybe that's the workshop we should run!