“Imposter syndrome”
I’ve heard this 20+ times over the last 12 months, from new hires to 20-year veterans. Why is that?
1. Maybe a little insecurity is appropriate
As a new person, recent graduates, recent hires, this makes sense. You got the job, but there’s a LOT of white space you need to fill in before you are “exceeding expectations” and getting promoted. You’re a grinder, and frankly, being a little nervous on the first day of the job = probably a good thing. Highly recommend.
We have S-curves throughout our lives. When we first start something – hobby, project, PhD – we are admittedly not good at it. No one berates a 2 year old for being a poor walker. No one will berate you for being “meh.”
If we take Jocko Willink’s advice from Extreme Accountability (affiliate link) and really own our own performance:
- What do I need to do today? 1 month out?
- Who do I need to learn from?
- How do I create a lot of competence quickly?
- How do I make my manager or client successful?
- How do I set up a strategy for me to be differentiated and win over the next 5 years?
- How is GenAI going to flip the cart on all of this?
This is temporary. S-curves have ups/downs. That’s the journey part of my “hero’s journey.” Frankly, is it possible that feeling a little insecure just the “price of admission” in professional services?
2. It’s a sign of growth
From executive coaching, I found it more surprising that accomplished 20+ year veterans also feel this. In the world of GenAI, the economic moat of experience has cracked wide open. As Gen X, we’ve spent decades honing our technical skills, polishing our PowerPoints, and generally being client ready. We can research like Jedi and we “know stuff.”
Hello Deep Mind, transformers, ChatGPT, agents. If you are a professional services person – and not a little bit scared about the commoditization of intelligence, you are not paying attention. Once again, I think this tension is healthy.
For career professionals, this is not proof that you’re failing. Naw – it’s proof that you’re stretching and learning. Think of it like building muscle. They say that it is really the marginal rep, that last bit that is more than what you did last time, that really compounds, adds, accretes.
Every act of learning is an act of courage — Carl Sagan
3. Eustress = good stress
All stress is not the same. Distress sucks. It’s demoralizing, unfun, hard-to-sleep, nail biting, and smells like helplessness. Eustress is healthy. You’re turning your body and mind into “game on” mode. It’s your body’s way to preparing you to perform; faster breath = more air to your lungs, faster heartbeat = blood to your body, dilated pupils = super eyes.
A little insecurity can go a long way. Dominik Barton – ex global McKinsey managing director – said that great consultants are incredibly smart & a little insecure. So, yes, the fear of failure can be a huge motivator. If you’re a surgeon – your patient’s outcome matters. The bigger your title, budget, headcount, the greater the responsibility.
Fear is your friend. It’s an indicator that you’re doing something worthwhile — Tim Ferriss
4. Trust = safety net
If you’re reading this blog post – you’re probably known for your good work, professionalism. You’ve been generous, patient, and relevant. You care about your work and clients. You’ve earned privilege.
You’ve built trust – over years, over projects, over conversations, over results. You’ve shipped quality product. You are the Costco, LVMH, Apple, Economist, Tencent, of your industry. This creates a huge shock absorber in your life; your clients, partners, friends, and bosses will give you grace. They know your intentions and work ethic. You have the currency that matters in client service = trust.
5. Micro-errors are not fatal
Small errors are not fatal. a) we all need to be experimenting with GenAI b) we are smart enough to NOT do it on “go live” for a big IT implementation. We will delegate tasks when we have lots of time, when the team is ready, when there is margin. We will be prepared and make calculated bets. Think like a poker player or a trader. Any investment mistake can be corrected, as long as you don’t lose your principal and have to walk away from the table.
6. Avoid FOMO
We all want approval. We are wired to compare ourselves to the other primates in our LinkedIn. I wish that I didn’t compare myself to others, but I do. We all do – AND for those who are already self-aware, receptive to feedback, eager to be better professionals, it’s not useful; FOMO is intellectually lazy.
Let’s not compare our internal doubts with other people’s external (false) confidence.
Strategy = winning your own game. Strategy = finding your unfair advantage and being so unique (n=1), relevant, and value-adding that clients seek you out. Strategy is not being jealous of other people’s Kardashian stylized best versions of themselves. If there is one thing I like about golf (and there are many); it’s a game against yourself. Compete with yourself = that’s the only real game.
Comparison is the thief of joy — Theodore Roosevelt
7. Borrow other people’s confidence
If you were hired, someone believed in you. If you were put on a project, someone believed in you. Don’t let your self-doubt (distress, not eustress) outweigh the confidence, encouragement, and support that your boss, spouse, hiring manager, professor put in you. As an executive coach, I am a professional mirror. I help people to “see” themselves, both good and bad. Frankly, there is a LOT of good that people overlook.
Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life — Golda Meir
8. Get smart
Anything unknown is a little scary. There’s no reason to be scared of things anymore. Do the research. Ask a friend. Read a 10K. ChatGPT (any LLM) gives us intelligence “on demand” like electricity. Use it. Imposter syndrome about XYZ?
- What are 5 things I need to know very well?
- What are the biggest impact of GenAI in industry XYZ for someone in my role of ABC?
- What are 5 recent podcasts that I should listen to about 123?
If you spend 20+ hours getting smart on a topic, and still feel like an imposter, I would be surprised.
The biggest barrier to learning is the fear of making mistakes — Sal Khan
9. Do the work; get more reps
Nothing like getting over the imposter syndrome by doing the work. Unsure how to install a new faucet. Watch the YouTube. Have a handy friend to come over to proof your work. Install 3 faucets, damn it. Competence + experience + relationships = winning. The best way to get over a fear of anything is to do it. Less time worrying, more time doing.
Amateurs hope. Professionals work — Garson Kanin
10. Get feedback
Feedback is critical, but only if we do something with it. You are a craftsman and your product is yourself.
- What’s working well?
- What can I tweak and do differently?
- What should I abandon or outsource?
- Whose opinions and advice do I really care about?
11. Dunning Kruger effect
This is a fascinating cognitive bias where beginners believe they are better than they are, and experts – surprisingly – think they are worse than they are. It’s like Dave Ramsey, financial radio guru, often says. <paraphrase> “People who worry about money, don’t need to worry about money. People who don’t worry about money, should worry.”
Net/net: if you feel the imposter syndrome every once in a while, harness that nuclear power and do great work.
Note: All written by John. Yes, ChatGPT helped find the typos. It also suggested that I collapse 11 sections into 6. I ignored.