How Does Imposter Syndrome Impact Success?

A surprising number of people live with Imposter Syndrome, and it can keep them from seeking out new opportunities or accepting credit for work they have accomplished. How many of your clients have the knowledge and motivation they need, but always seem to fall short of success? They listen to your advice, but something keeps holding them back. Maybe they feel tentative, maybe they get anxious about taking that next big step.

I’ve been there

I remember how I used to feel when I was an IT manager for a large corporation. I saw many large projects through to successful implementation and maintained stability in the systems I was responsible for. Colleagues frequently sought my opinion to aid in decision-making. Yet I worried that something would come up that would expose my lack of knowledge about a technical aspect of one of my systems or projects.

I assumed that all the other people had a more thorough background. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but I felt certain it would be exposed someday, somehow. When projects were implemented, I believed it was due to the project leaders and teams working hard and well. And, while that was definitely true, I never gave myself credit for my contributions.

What would I have rather been experiencing?

Looking back, I ask myself, how would I have rather experienced that major part of my life? Can you imagine the differences if I had known what my strengths were and been able to leverage and appreciate those? My stress levels would have been so much lower if I had believed that I was well equipped to handle whatever came up and that whatever resources I needed were available to me.

What if I’d felt excited to volunteer for new challenges because I wanted to see what I could do next rather than to agree to tackle them because someone had to do them—after all, I was a good team player? And I can’t even imagine how good it would have felt if, at the end of a project, I’d felt proud of all that I accomplished and been able to say to myself, “That was difficult. Look at all I learned with this. Good job!”

If I’d only know then what I know now!

That could have all been true for me if I’d understood how my subconscious beliefs were impacting me—AND that I could change them. If you have clients that find it hard to be proud of their work, confident in their abilities, or excited about new opportunities, let’s talk.

I’d love to help you help them! You can book a virtual coffee with me here.