Imposter Syndrome: How to Work it Out

I used to think Imposter Syndrome was something I needed to “fix.” That nagging voice whispering “you are out of your depth” showed up at the start of every Ignite big-room planning workshop that I facilitated. 

I thought success would make it go away, especially after facilitating almost 300 Ignites. It didn’t. If anything, the stakes just got higher—and the voice got louder. 

I soon worked out, however, that doubt wasn’t a weakness—it was a signal. It meant I was becoming self-aware. It meant I wasn’t coasting. It meant I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone. 

I stopped seeing Imposter Syndrome as a flaw and started seeing it as proof that I was growing. And that changed everything.

Research has shown that those with imposter thoughts were better at interpersonal interaction, as rated by those they interacted with. 

They engage more in active listening behaviours: they leaned forward more, mirrored the body language, asked more questions and offered more explanations.

So if you're feeling like a fraud, don’t run from it. Sit with it. Ask what it’s trying to teach you. 

Chances are, it’s showing you the edge of your comfort zone - and beyond that edge is where all the real growth lives. Keep going. You're not an imposter. You're just evolving faster than your self-perception can keep up. 

And that’s a good thing.

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AdaptivOrg + Seisma, SEISMA GROUP, Insights

Robert Cass 🟢 🟡 / 🔵 🔴, Robert Hogeland, Devon White, Annie Spiteri, Sushrut Kamath, Jason Wu, Simone Hambrook, Anna Gikovski, Betty Trajkovski, Richard Beaumont, Brendan Walker, Anthony Kandi