Tackling Imposter Syndrome
The feeling of being an imposter in your own life…
by Peter Fay
I left school at 16 with no major qualifications to speak of and even less of a clue about what I wanted to do with my life. I'd spent most of my time in high school lost in my own head, daydreaming my way through lessons, and believing others were academically more “gifted” than me.
When I stumbled accidentally into HR in my early twenties — I found myself surrounded by people with degrees, masters degrees, CIPD qualifications, and more. And every day, some version of the same question played in the background: Who made the mistake of putting me into this job?
I know now that feeling has a name. Imposter syndrome. But naming it didn't make it disappear overnight.
Below I share some of my experience in tackling imposter syndrome. How to recognise it and overcome it.
The feeling doesn't stop at the door when you get promoted
Here's what nobody tells you: reaching seniority doesn't cure it. If anything, it can intensify it.
I eventually went back to education and completed an MBA. And yet — sitting even in those classes as an SVP of HR for a multinational bank — I still felt it. I watched fellow students who'd done all the reading, who seemed to master the research faster, more fluently. The inner voice was still there.
What finally gave me perspective wasn't the MBA. First, it was a conversation with one of my earliest bosses — someone who'd taken a chance on me years before. Their words have stayed with me: they had no shortage of CIPD holders with masters degrees. What was harder to find was someone who could see the big picture, who could read a room, who could actually connect with people. That was the thing they'd seen in me. The thing I hadn't seen in myself.
And secondly, when I started my coaching practice, I trained alongside dozens of talented coaches and came to realise that imposter syndrome is actually quite normal. And when you can feel it, name it, and channel it correctly, it can actually be quite powerful.
What imposter syndrome actually looks like at a senior level
Many of us view imposter syndrome as an early career problem — the new starter who's convinced they're out of their depth.
But I see it daily in senior and executive leaders, and it shows up differently at that level.
It shows up as:
The leader who overprepares for every meeting, not because they're diligent, but because they're fearful.
The one who finds it almost impossible to delegate because handing something over feels like exposing a gap.
The leader who struggles to switch off because the moment they stop moving, the doubts creeps in.
Reluctance to share ideas in case they're challenged.
Discomfort asking for help.
Taking setbacks as confirmation of what they've always suspected about themselves.
The cost isn't only personal or inward pressure. These patterns shape how a leader communicates, how they make decisions, and critically, how their team experiences them. A leader who can't tolerate uncertainty often creates teams that are fearful of it also.
And in my coaching practice, I typically see different responses to imposter syndrome from women vs men.
Women tend to internalise imposter syndromeand it can prevent them from seeking the next role — not applying for roles they're qualified for, staying quiet in rooms where they have something important to say.
Men are more likely to mask it:pursuing confidence over competence, keeping the doubt well hidden.
Neither response is healthy. Both have consequences — for the individual and for the organisations that miss out on what they have to offer.
The five shapes it takes
Psychologist Dr. Valerie Young's framework identifies five distinct patterns — and in my experience working with leaders, they resonate with many.
The Perfectionist sets standards so high that success rarely registers. There's always something that could have been done better.
The Expert believes they need to know everything before they can speak with authority. Gaps in knowledge feel like exposure rather than normal learning.
The Soloist sees asking for help as a form of failure. They carry the weight alone because accepting support feels like admitting they can't cope.
The Natural Genius believes talent should flow effortlessly. If something requires sustained effort, it must mean they're not actually good enough.
The Superhuman measures their worth by how much they can handle. Rest feels self-indulgent. Busyness becomes armour.
Most leaders I work with recognise themselves in more than one. The point isn't to categorise — it's to notice. When you can name the pattern, you create space between the thought and the automatic response to it.
How can we overcome imposter syndrome?
Pushing harder is not the answer. Most leaders instinctively respond to self-doubt by working longer, setting higher bars, becoming even more self-critical. It rarely works, and it tends to make things worse.
There are two approaches I've seen genuinely help.
Self-compassion — which is not softness. It's not lowering the bar. It's learning to speak to yourself the way you would speak to a respected colleague or team member in the same situation. Noticing the thought, rather than becoming it. Recognising that many capable people feel exactly this way. Offering understanding rather than another round of self-criticism. Leaders who develop this skill recover from setbacks faster. They're also more honest with their teams — and that models something powerful.
Examining the evidence — borrowing from cognitive behavioural therapy, the practice of slowing down and actually interrogating the thought. If the thought is "I was only promoted because of luck," what does the evidence actually say? What have you delivered? What feedback have you consistently received? What do people come to you for? The inner critic tends to work in generalisations. The facts usually tell a more accurate story.
The role leaders play for others
How a leader responds to their own doubt has a direct effect on psychological safety in their team.
When leaders give specific feedback rather than vague praise, it builds genuine confidence. When they acknowledge effort and not just outcomes, they signal that growth is valued. When they share their own moments of uncertainty — appropriately and honestly — they reduce the shame that keeps people quiet.
If the unspoken rule in your team is that mistakes are unacceptable, imposter syndrome will thrive. Change the culture around learning and those thoughts lose some of their power.
The mark of an imposter?
Imposter syndrome doesn't just magically disappear. It resurfaces at new levels of responsibility, in new contexts, when the stakes feel higher. The aim isn't elimination. It's recognition — and a different response.
If you've ever felt that you weren't quite ready, not quite enough, not quite deserving of where you've arrived — you're in good company. The best leaders I have worked with have all felt it.
And in my experience, the people who never question themselves are often the ones worth watching most closely.
The fact that you care enough to ask the question is rarely the mark of an imposter. It's usually the mark of someone who takes their role seriously.
