INsight/ Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Photo courtesy Moja Sports.

Manila, 7 August 2024 — What to do when you experience the imposter syndrome. 

Story

It happened this week. What does running legend Sifan Hassan have in common with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and global singer superstar Adele? Yes, you guessed it right. They have all experienced the imposter syndrome, the feeling of doubting one's abilities and fearing being exposed as a "fraud." No doubt, its a challenging experience.

By now, countless celebrities have shared how they have struggled with feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. It turns out that imposter syndrome is surprisingly common among high achievers around the world. Or, perhaps, it’s not surprising at all that we can find ourselves in the company of former US first lady Michelle Obama, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and actress and producer Priyanka Chopra, who have all shared about feeling the imposter syndrome. It seems to be part of our human condition as we stretch ourselves to deliver something bigger.

For star athlete Sifan Hassan, it struck this week in Paris. As reported by the Dutch broadcaster NOS, she was standing outside the giant Stade de France where the athletic events are taking place. It took for Sifan’s manager Jos Hermans to literally talk her into entering the stadium to show up for her 5,000 m race. It wasn’t easy. “I didn’t have any self-confidence and I just wanted to walk away,” explained Sifan. She felt convinced that she would do poorly, and was wondering how she could even complete the race. So what happened next?

Challenge

In the photo, taken just a couple of hours later, we see Sifan with another Olympic medal around her neck. During those few hours, we heard, her emotional outlook had completely changed. Having completed the race, the oppressive uncertainty had lifted, and she then felt utterly convinced that she was ready for her 10,000 m race as well as the marathon. The fear that had consumed her earlier had been replaced by confidence. How did that happen and what can we learn from it?

First, we can observe that every leader who steps out of their comfort zone is susceptible to experience the imposter syndrome. It is actually quite normal to do so. We also saw that it tends to be a temporary emotion. When we step into our next challenge, our brain is trying hard to keep us on safe ground. The resulting tension can make us feel stressed by the uncertainty of the situation. There may be times that, like with Sifan, a part of us might just want to walk away or stay safely where we are.

Second, it’s the coaches who can explain how much those fears can control us and how we can overcome these hurdles. During the emotion, the fear becomes the ‘subject’ that lives us. Until we turn that fear from subject into an ‘object’ that we witness with our awareness, we will stay consumed by the emotion instead of taking the lead in the situation. Mastering subject-object theory and practicing it is a key to success for high-achieving leaders in every field and at every level.

Question

Third, we can recognize the challenge of learning how to take charge of ourselves as leaders in each situation. Turning emotional ‘subjects into objects’ is an integral part of our adult development journey, as explained by psychologist Robert Kegan. We need to keep growing into what Kegan called the self-authoring stage of our development, which is not easy. It’s where boosting our emotional intelligence and practicing our mindfulness will help us a great deal.

There is more. Notice what happened in Sifan’s case when she stood outside that giant stadium, inclined to walk away. She had someone with her whom she trusted to talk with. Her showing up as coachable made a difference. It helped to turn the subject (her consuming fear) into an object (an emotion in her awareness). That’s enabled her to decide to move forward and walk inside to step out on to ‘her stage’ and run her race. At that point, her extraordinary abilities took over.

Let’s turn to you now. What is the limit you want to break as a leader? What is the role, challenge, or crisis that triggers you to doubt your own abilities? We know that leadership is about deciding to play a bigger game, like Sifan does. That’s where coaching helps. With a coach, you can turn the imposter syndrome into a passing experience you learn from along your leadership journey. Let me know about the limit you want to break, and set up a free strategy call now.