Do you suffer from the ‘Imposter Syndrome’​?

When working with leaders, one of the biggest challenges I come across is the ‘imposter syndrome. 

This reminds me of an experience, I had with a leadership team last year.

At the end of my group session, one of the managers stayed back. 

We had been discussing the importance, of knowing what strengths we have. 

“Mark, can I have word with you? she asked.

You asked us to review our strengths and document what they are and I don’t know if I have any strengths!

I feel like an imposter in this role. 

I was a single parent at 18, never got to finish school. 

I have no formal qualifications”.     

“Mary, tell me a bit about your life journey since then”, I asked.

She said, “Well, it was very difficult bringing up my son Paul on my own”. 

I asked, “How is Paul doing now?”

Her face lit up. 

She said, “He’s in his final year in college, studying electrical engineering, 

Now don’t ask me what that is, when he was living at home, he had trouble working the microwave!         

When Paul started school, I got an entry-level job in this company.  

It was pretty tough working full time, looking after the house and being a single parent to Paul. 

I worked damn hard and was so proud to get this management position last year. 

Though I’m still not sure I have what it takes”. 

I asked, “What lessons did you learn good and bad along the way?

What did it take for you to make all this happen? ”. 

For what seemed like an eternity, there was a cold silence in the room.

She said, “I suppose I had to be driven”

“What else?”, I asked

“Definitely very organised to be able to juggle all my priorities, resilient, there was a lot of ups and downs”, she said.

“So you’re telling me,

1. you are driven 

2. you are organised 

3. you have the ability to juggle priorities 

4. you are resilient

That’s 4 key strengths any manager would love to have in their tool box. 

You started off by telling me you had none”. 

“Mark, I never thought about it like that”, Mary said.

With that, she left the room, with a big smile on her face and a spring in her step.  

Too many of us underestimate what we have and over-estimate what we don’t have!