Imposter syndrome is a common experience among leaders and high-achievers, characterized by feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, and fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite their accomplishments and qualifications, individuals with imposter syndrome often struggle to internalize their successes and believe that they have only achieved their position through luck or deception.

Signs of imposter syndrome can include:

• Constant self-doubt and insecurity
• Difficulty accepting compliments or praise
• Fear of being found out as a fraud
• Preoccupation with perfectionism and fear of failure
• Difficulty delegating tasks or sharing credit for successes
• Difficulty internalizing accomplishments and feeling like a fraud

Imposter syndrome can have a significant impact on a leader’s effectiveness and well-being. It can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression and can prevent leaders from reaching their full potential.

However, there are ways to overcome imposter syndrome. One of the most effective ways is through therapy. Working with a therapist can help leaders identify and challenge the negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs that are driving their imposter syndrome. Therapy can also help leaders learn to recognize and internalize their accomplishments and develop a more accurate and realistic self-perception.

Another effective approach is to actively work on building self-compassion and self-awareness. Practicing self-compassion can help leaders to be kinder and more understanding towards themselves and to recognize that everyone experiences self-doubt and fear of failure at times. Self-awareness can help leaders to identify and challenge negative thoughts and limiting beliefs.

In addition, it can be helpful to surround yourself with supportive people who can provide encouragement and perspective, and to find role models who have successfully overcome imposter syndrome themselves.

In conclusion, imposter syndrome is a common experience among leaders and high-achievers. It is characterized by feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, and fear of being exposed as a fraud. However, with the help of therapy, building self-compassion and self-awareness, finding supportive people and role models, leaders can overcome imposter syndrome and reach their full potential.

As a manager, one of the most important skills I have learned is the ability to empathize with my team members. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and it is crucial for building strong relationships and fostering a positive work environment.

When I first became a manager, I found it difficult to put myself in the shoes of my new team members. I was focused on being right and making sure that everything was done according to my plan. However, I soon realized that this approach was not effective and that my team members were not responding well to my management style.

I began to make a conscious effort to understand and empathize with my team members. I listened to their concerns and tried to see things from their perspective. I also made sure to give them the space to express themselves and share their thoughts and ideas.

This approach has had a profound impact on my relationships with my team members. They are now more open and willing to share their thoughts and ideas, and they are more invested in the success of the team. Additionally, I have found that my team members are more engaged and motivated, and they are more productive as a result.

As a manager, it is important to understand that it is not always about being right. It is about understanding and empathizing with your team members, and creating a work environment that is inclusive and supportive. This can be difficult, especially when working with a new team, but it is essential for building a successful and productive team.

In conclusion, empathy is an essential skill for any manager, it is about understanding and accepting the perspective of others, it takes time, but it is worth it. It is important to listen, understand and create an inclusive environment that allows everyone to express themselves and share their ideas, which will lead to a more productive and engaged team.

I would love to hear your thoughts/examples on this and how it’s impacted your interactions

So as a manager why should we be mindful?

How many managers have you worked for that lacked emotional intelligence, a deeper understanding of connecting with with the team or someone who just lived in their own head?

In my experience managers can treat their team as a commodity and not as people.

In order to get the best out of your team we need to to remove the ego of this “manager” title and work together.

I have found meditation, mindfulness YouTube videos and reading to be useful resources that allows me to connect to myself before engaging with the team, and therefore I use my intuition and and not be reactive. This does take practice and I’m not perfect, nor expect to be perfect, but each day every scenario is one step closer to connecting to the space within.

Please leave a comment with your thoughts on working with a mindfulness manager or how you believe working in this way can help benefit the team the organisation and ultimately your development.

We have all been there. We want to try something new. We see a problem at work we believe we could work on. We think to ourselves “nah, I might mess up”.

I would say that you need to take action and grasp the opportunity with both hands.

You see, when we start off on a new path/project, we often don’t know what we are doing. But we make mistakes and we learn. We find that we may have a natural knack for creativity, leadership, communication, or organisation.

Without taking the first step of saying “yes” we deny ourselves the potential opportunity to grow both professionally and personally.

I remember starting out as a programmer and was assigned a very important project to deliver a solution to integrate with a government API. This was brand-new and the business was relying on the automation benefits it would bring.

I was fearful at first that the responsibility was on me to deliver something and wonder how I could make it perfect. After a few months I had a working piece of software that meant the company I worked for didn’t have to pay for external 3rd parties to write it. I grew professionally by getting exposure to new technology, I also developed trust where my employers could see that I would grasp a problem and work to find a solution.

This was the honey.

The software project opened-up doors in the business that have helped me to progress to this day – something I would never have dreamed of when I was given the specification to start developing from.

My advise would be to “do it”. There will be so much honey!

Have you experienced something similar? Please add a comment below.