Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Your inner perfectionist is holding you back, here's how to take action
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Startup School for Seniors: Moving Forward Call
Sat, Apr 19 • 10:00 AM
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Sat, Apr 26 • 10:00 AM
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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
When it comes to starting a business, people generally fall into two categories: those who take action and those who procrastinate endlessly, often giving up in the process.
While it’s true that impulsively diving in without taking essential steps—such as determining whether enough people are interested in the problem you're solving and willing to pay a profitable price—carries its own risks, indecision and procrastination will get you nowhere.
The longer you delay taking action, the more likely you are to be overwhelmed by fear: fear of failure, fear of making mistakes, and fear of wasting your time.
Working with early stage business owners, it’s the fear of making a mistake, of taking action, that holds so many back from realising their dream. And wrapped up around this fear is often imposter syndrome - the belief that you’re not good enough, not enough of an expert, not established enough for prospective customers to want to buy from you.
I asked those in my network how they managed to overcome imposter syndrome. Here are their suggestions:
Ian Wright, Founder/CEO of virtualnonexecs.com says, “You weren’t handed a seat at the table by accident. You weren’t invited into that boardroom, onto that panel, or into that opportunity because someone felt sorry for you. You got there because of your experience, your insights, your graft… So instead of questioning whether you deserve to be there, remind yourself:
✅ You earned it.
✅ You have value to add.
Stop second-guessing.
Kate Leto, Executive Coach says, “It starts with confronting our negative thoughts with a series of questions:
Is it true? – Challenge the validity of your negative thought. Is it an objective fact or a subjective perception?
Can you absolutely know that it's true? – What evidence do you have? Is it based on facts or assumptions?
How do you react when you believe that thought? – Recognize the emotional and physical responses that stem from these beliefs.
Who would you be without that thought? – Imagine the freedom and confidence you'd feel without this limiting belief. What would that life look and feel like? Get as detailed as you can to create a new vision to work towards.
By methodically questioning our thoughts and the evidence supporting them, we can begin to dismantle the narrative of not being good enough.”
Holly Kolman, a career strategist for young people says, “Imposter syndrome is an especially difficult challenge for people who look for external validation, and then don’t trust the results when they clearly show you’re good at your job.
Try this: Go inside yourself, and examine why and how what you do helps people.
Imagine what it would be like for your client if you weren’t there to help them.
What have you done for them that helped them reach a goal?
Do you have any case studies or analytics that can quantify that what you did was successful?
If not, go get some. People believe stories and numbers that tell stories.”
GWDC Member and coach Kate Sturdy says, “I remember when I first heard the term [imposter syndrome] from a colleague about 15 years ago. It was like a ray of light - a gift of words to name something I was experiencing but couldn't express. This helped me take steps to challenge my destructive inner voice.”
Finally, Patricia Gestoso, another GWDC member, has published a free guide, “Stop Imposter Syndrome Derailing Your Career: Discover nine proven practices to stop self-doubt, the inner critic, and imposter syndrome sabotaging your career.” You can download a copy here.
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