In episode 5 of season 2 of the Return on Intelligence podcast, Rich Fernandez chatted with Cecily Mak, founder of the ClearLife community, to discuss shaping your mindset as a high-performing senior leader. Although Cecily has chartered an enviable career leading high-growth startups, imposter syndrome was once a debilitating force. While pioneering innovative technology in media, technology, the music industry, and cryptocurrency, she developed a blueprint for overcoming imposter syndrome at work. The secret? Cecily explains that relief is found when we take the steps to deepen our self-awareness.
From their discussion, we’ve taken some key tips for overcoming imposter syndrome at work. The full episode is below for you to watch or listen to if you want to understand each topic better.
4 tips to embrace leadership as a lifestyle choice
Are you overcompensating at work out of fear that you’re unfit for the role? Imposter syndrome can seep into every area of your life, taking your stress from the boardroom to the breakfast table. And in your first five, ten, and even fifteen years of senior leadership, the pressure to prove yourself can leave you burnt out and questioning your qualifications. The great news? You can approach the overwhelming effects of imposter syndrome with the same solutions-oriented mindset you use to build a business.
Adopt fluid decision-making
As a senior leader, you’re hyperaware that your approach to decision-making will directly influence the lives of your colleagues and family. You might wonder, “do I stay late for a status update meeting? Do I delay a budget meeting to attend my son's recital?” Adopting different frameworks for decision-making is a critical way to build your confidence when navigating work-life balance, crisis management, market changes, and new innovations in technology. And since no singular formula exists for getting it right, building your toolkit for making decisions can help you feel more fearless than fraudulent.
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Aim between the trees
Imposter syndrome can make it easy to become preoccupied with potential obstacles, letting worries and fears dominate your thoughts. Remember to divert your focus back to your vision with this powerful skiing metaphor: aim between the trees and concentrate on crossing the finish line to reach your goals. Any obstacles that arise shouldn't disrupt your focus on being the best leader you can be.
Create boundaries built on trust
It sounds simple, but it’s true: if you trust your team, you’re less likely to overcompensate at work. To begin protecting your time, derive confidence from your team’s accomplishments. Just as you were hired based on your work experience, you selected a group of highly qualified contributors who you can be confident will ensure the company's success. If your team is thriving, this means you can feel good about clocking out at 5 PM every day with the confidence that those left in charge will troubleshoot with the same confidence you expect from yourself.
Want to build an even stronger team? Discover 5 ways to improve employee performance
Find intellectual problems outside of work
As busy leaders, work can become the only avenue to tap into our curiosity. It can become easy to dismiss the intellectual challenges that can come from parenthood, friendships, and hobbies. Consider how relationship issues at home can invite you to develop a higher emotional ability when navigating complex interpersonal dynamics at work. Emotional intelligence can elevate your career just as much as your ability to be a parent, spouse, friend, or community member.
Self-awareness - The anti-dote to imposter syndrome at work?
The key to alleviating your performance anxiety is to become more comfortable taking accountability. Leaders are more effective if they’re able to steer the wheel during a stressful interaction, a difficult decision, or a major change in the company. Self-awareness fosters this sense of calm, because it provides information to help you identify the resources you need to solve problems.
Learn to manage your emotions
Exercises in mindfulness can help you cultivate the emotional stability you need to manage your imposter syndrome. Mistakes will happen, and your emotional dysregulation might activate your imposter syndrome and trump your better judgment. Your team will also feel the benefits of your mindfulness practice. If you’re emotionally regulated, employees will look to you for a calm sense of confidence when adversity arises, and they, too, will believe they can overcome those mistakes.
Your limitations are a strength
It’s not only acceptable to confess when you’re out of your depth on a task, but it can also strengthen your relationships with stakeholders. If you’ve just started to tackle complex tasks such as Series C funding, consulting with law firms, and managing stakeholders, your peers will expect you to have a lot of questions. Instead of pretending to have all the answers, consider openly admitting your uncertainty in a conversation with your manager or even your team. Your vulnerability will likely foster a deeper level of trust, engage employees in the problem, and motivate your team to be more productive!
Improve your team’s problem-solving skills with 6 brainstorming best practices to boost your culture of learning
Act on your personal values
The secret to improving your self-confidence is to operate based on your values. A value-driven approach can reduce your stress, help you make better decisions and even become more assertive. By spending time reflecting on what priorities and ethics inspire you the most, you’ll reduce the feelings that can arise from imposter syndrome.
Pro-tip: A great way to identify your values is to reflect on important decisions you’ve made in the past. Why did you make each decision? Which consequences were you more comfortable with than others? Once you have a few examples, refer to a list of personal values to identify what resonates with you the most.
Take the next step
If you’re overwhelmed by imposter syndrome, you’re not alone in the struggle—62% of knowledge workers around the world feel the same way. To begin overcoming your imposter syndrome at work, try investigating areas of your personal wellbeing that can be strengthened by greater self-awareness, better decision-making, and communicated boundaries. When you start identifying the ways your curiosity and leadership can help you in other areas of your life, your feeling of inadequacy will be less prevalent, you’ll reduce your chances of burnout, and your confidence will significantly improve.
Watch the full episode:
