I recently reached out to Jennifer, who worked with me several years ago to get her input on behavior I had noticed with a member of a client’s senior leadership team. You might be thinking, wait, you’re the consultant and coach, don’t you know everything, and you would be wrong. I regularly connect with others for their insights into people because I’ve learned how I see things isn’t the default system for everyone. I shared my observations from multiple interactions and asked for her thoughts on approaching the topic. She affirmed my plans for a direct approach but encouraged me to make certain the person knew I was seeking to understand them, without judgement. She then added something I hadn’t thought about when she shared, “it might be she’s experiencing a little imposter syndrome.” I’m blessed to have some smart and insightful friends who still take my calls.

If you aren’t familiar with imposter syndrome, google it and you’ll find plenty of information to digest. My explanation of it is when someone has self-doubts about their abilities and feels that despite all they’ve accomplished, they are an imposter in their role, or a fraud and others will eventually discover them. Like many things in life, it’s more of imagination than reality, but it can have a powerful impact on people. If we’re honest, I imagine every one of us felt a little like an imposter sometime in our life.

Throughout my career, I’ve noticed it most frequently when someone who is new to their leadership position, which might be their first-time as a leader, or at the director level, or C-suite member. In their mind it’s a huge jump and they want to “prove themselves” to others. It’s not uncommon. In sports, just look at the ball player who signs a big contract, often they struggle in the coming season as they try to justify the money they now make.

How they do it will be unique to the person, but here’s a few I’ve noticed in people that I observed had imposter syndrome:

• They can’t let go of their previous role, so they end up trying to do two jobs instead of one, which isn’t sustainable.
• They try to be perfect in their job, causing them to bristle or become defensive when someone questions their work or in any way implies they might not be perfect.
• When they don’t know something, they hesitate to ask questions, thinking they should already know everything and by asking they will be exposed.
• They will tell you about all their successes to justify their position.
• When there is something that goes wrong, they tend to blame others for the cause, it can never be them.

What can you do when you are a peer or have a subordinate with imposter syndrome?

• Affirm them in their role. For them to feel it internally, they usually need to hear it externally.
• Set expectations with them:
  • Don’t let them continue to do two jobs, require them to find a replacement and to delegate to that person. That’s easier to do if you are their leader. Then hold them accountable to fill the position as they will probably drag their feet in the process, as no one is as good as they were. If they are a peer, tell them you noticed they’re doing two jobs and affirm the need to find a replacement.
  • Expect questions from them. Let them know they can’t know everything about the job or the organization, and you want them to ask when they don’t know. If they are uncomfortable publicly asking, you expect them to ask you in private. Hold them accountable, if they aren’t asking questions, ask them why not.
• Don’t allow the “blame game”. It’s a cancer that will quickly spread to others who are watching. When someone blames others, it’s often a sign they don’t collaborate well, because if they did, together they would have found a working solution. I don’t know about you, but if I ever blamed someone, it never was a person I had a good relationship with.

We all have doubts, especially in new situations. Don’t let the doubts overwhelm you. When I take on something new, I’ve learned the hard way not to do it all on my own. I spend some time in prayer because He knows way more than I do and He always equips me with what I need.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14