Career on the rise? Worried that you’ll soon be exposed as a fraud? Here are 4 ways to battle the impostor syndrome.

1. 4 Ways to Battle the
Impostor Syndrome
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Kim Meninger
Executive Coach & Career Strategist
Kim@ExecutiveCareerSuccess.com

2. You’ve been asked to take on a
new challenge.
You immediately feel excited and
honored to be selected for the
opportunity.
But, anxiety quickly kicks in and
feelings of self-doubt begin to
emerge.
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3. You tell yourself:
“I’m not qualified for this. At any moment,
others will realize that I’m a fraud.”
What you’re experiencing
is the impostor syndrome.
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4. Impostor Syndrome
The impostor syndrome is a social psychology
term used to describe the sense that your
accomplishments or opportunities are
unwarranted.
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5. “Symptoms” of Impostor Syndrome
If you’re an executive struggling with the
impostor syndrome, you:
• Feel like a fraud.
• Believe you’ve deceived others about your
abilities.
• Worry that you will soon be exposed.
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6. • Many executives struggle with the impostor
syndrome at one time or another.
• It’s most common among high performers –
those who actually are qualified to do the job.
• It can be useful, driving us to work harder and
be more competitive in our roles.
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7. If the impostor syndrome is disruptive to
you, here are four ways to battle it.
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8. 1. Ensure that expectations are clear
• Increased responsibility is exciting, but
also anxiety provoking.
• A great source of anxiety is lack of
clarity about what’s expected of you.
• In any new situation, understand your
executive team’s
goals, expectations, and challenges.
• Ensure that you are armed with as
much information as possible before
getting started.
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9. 2. Focus on Your Strengths
• Most of us take our strengths and talents for
granted and focus on our weaknesses instead.
• When feeling insecure, take inventory of your
strengths/accomplishments.
– What differentiates you from others?
• This will boost your confidence and de-emphasize
areas where you’re not as strong.
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10. 3. Leverage your resources.
• You have a highly
powerful skill set, but
you can’t do everything.
• When the pressure is
on, it can be hard to give
up control or delegate to
others.
• To successfully achieve
your goals, though, you’ll
need a strong team.
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11. 4. Seek External Feedback
• If you’re unsure about your
performance, seek immediate
feedback.
• Ask your leadership team and
trusted colleagues for input.
• Regular feedback will help you
identify and address issues early
in the process.
• Positive feedback will increase
your confidence.
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12. Experiencing Impostor Syndrome?
• Recognize that this is a very
normal experience.
• Most highly successful
executives have felt this way
at some point during their
careers.
• If you’re struggling, apply
these four steps.
• And if you still need
support, contact me for help
with a personalized strategy.
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13. www.ExecutiveCareerSuccess.com
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Kim Meninger
Executive Coach & Career Strategist
Kim@ExecutiveCareerSuccess.com