October 8, 2025 • 12 mins
Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re broken or unqualified.
It often means your world has grown faster than your sense of self. In this episode we go beneath the buzzword of imposter syndrome.
We look at it in a different way, as a signal that your identity is expanding. You’ll learn why fighting it with frantic action rarely works, and what to do instead to grow into steady, grounded confidence that lasts.
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-m-schmidt/
Get 1-on-1 leadership support from Teri here: https://www.strongleadersserve.com/coaching
Set up an intro call with Teri: https://calendly.com/terischmidt/discoverycall
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You've probably heard the termimposter syndrome so many times
that it's almost becomebackground noise.
Just another label that leadersquietly carry.
There has been a lot said aboutimposter syndrome and imposter
phenomenon.
Some even argue that it was aterm created solely to stop
women's progress.
(00:22):
There are even entire coachingprograms dedicated to helping
clients deal with it.
But regardless of how you feelabout it.
I think many of us have hadtimes where we felt like we
didn't belong in the position wewere in, like we were out over
our skis, or acting beyond ourcurrent abilities or
preparation.
Like we needed to learn to fakeit until we make it really
(00:45):
quick.
So acknowledging that, that's afeeling that many of us have had
at some point in our lives.
I wanna take this opportunity togo a little deeper and look at
it in a different way.
Perhaps a way that might be amore enduring solution than the
advice to fake it until you makeit or simply think yourself into
(01:05):
being more confident.
The question at the core ofthat, that I'd like to consider
is, what if imposter syndromeisn't really a problem to fix,
but instead a helpful signalthat you're growing?
So let's get into it.
I'm Terry Schmidt, executive andleadership coach at Strong
Leader Serve, where we partnerwith organizations to prepare
(01:28):
leaders for the everyday stretchmoments of leadership.
Those moments where what got youhere isn't going to get you
where you need to go, and thisis the Strong Leader Serve
podcast.
(02:33):
All right, so to make thisreally practical, let's talk
about a leader that I will callMaya.
Maya had just been promoted.
She was now leading people whoused to be her peers.
Her first big meeting came withsenior leadership.
She prepared for days, slides,talking points, backup slides
(02:53):
for her backup slides.
But as the meeting started, thatfamiliar voice whispered in her
mind, you don't belong here.
They're going to find out you'renot ready.
She smiled, contributed, evenreceived positive feedback, but
afterwards she told me that shefelt like she'd fooled everyone.
(03:13):
Does that sound familiar?
Maybe your version came after apromotion, a new client, or when
someone introduced you as anexpert and you instantly wanted
to hide.
We often call it impostersyndrome, but what's really
happening beneath that label?
If you look back in history, theterm imposter syndrome are
really imposter phenomenon camefrom psychologists, Pauline Klan
(03:36):
and Suzanne IMEs in the late1970s.
They were studying highachieving woman, who, despite
clear success, felt undeservingof their accomplishments.
Since then, it's been used todescribe anyone who feels like
they don't fully belong in a newrole, environment, or
opportunity.
But when we look beneath thebuzzword, imposter syndrome
(03:58):
isn't just about self-doubt.
It's about a mismatch betweenwho we've known ourselves to be
and the environment we now findourselves in.
When you step into a new levelof leadership, your context
expands.
Suddenly you're operating in amore complex system.
You're leading people withdifferent experiences, juggling
(04:19):
competing priorities, and beingseen in ways you haven't been
before, but your identity.
The story you tell yourselfabout who you are and what
you're capable of takes longerto catch up.
That's the gap where imposterfeelings live.
It's the space between your oldcertainty.
And your new complexity.
(04:40):
For example, say you're movinginto your first leadership role.
You're coming from the certaintyof being the high performer,
knowing that you are the onethat people can turn to to get
the job done.
And in that identity, your focusis on getting others' approval.
It feels good.
It's safe Now in your new role,your regular behaviors for
(05:02):
getting approval are not workinganymore.
In fact, if you jump in and dothe work, that's actually
frowned upon, but you want tomaintain your existing identity
as the one who gets things done.
While your new role calls forsomething much more complex than
that, it calls for you toempower others to get things
done.
You're still seeing yourselfthrough yesterday's lens, even
(05:25):
though your new world nowdemands something more.
That gap can create dissonance.
You might feel like you'repretending when in reality
you're just in transit and ifyou don't recognize that you
need to shift that part of youridentity, you will never fully
feel adequate or qualified inyour new role.
Regardless of how manyleadership development courses
(05:48):
you take, imposter syndromeoften isn't an indication that
you're unqualified.
But instead an indication thatyou need to shift part of your
identity.
This takes intentional effortthat often feels uncomfortable,
but it's uncomfortable for areason.
And that reason has everythingto do with how your brain works.
(06:09):
As we've talked about manytimes, your brain loves
predictability.
It equates familiarity withsafety.
So when your environment changesfaster than your sense of self,
your brain sounds the alarm.
It's saying, this feelsuncertain.
This feels risky.
Let's pull back.
That's why imposter syndromeoften comes with strong physical
(06:30):
sensations.
Your heart racing, your voiceshaking, your mind, spinning.
It's your nervous system tryingto keep you safe.
But here's the reframe.
Your brain isn't wrong to alertyou.
It's just misinterpreting what'shappening.
It's seeing growth as dangerwhen really.
(06:51):
It's transformation.
So instead of trying to silencethe imposter voice or power
through it, what if you listenedto it differently?
What if you treated it as asignal that your context has
outgrown your current selfstory, your current identity,
and that your work isn't toprove yourself, but to become
(07:13):
yourself in this new space?
When imposter thoughts hit, mostleaders do one of two things.
They either double down ondoing, trying to earn their
place by working harder,mastering new skills, and
collecting more proof ofcompetence, or they pull back,
staying quiet to avoid exposure.
(07:34):
Both responses make sense, butboth also miss the deeper
opportunity.
Now I do agree that one way tofeel better, as I saw posted on
LinkedIn recently, is to findsmall tasks of your new role
that align with your strengthsand just get out there and take
action.
(07:54):
That does give you some reps tobuild confidence, but that
confidence will be much moredurable and long lasting.
When you also do the inner workof aligning who you are with the
new world that you're leadingin, here are a few ideas to get
started with that first pauseand name it when that anxious
(08:17):
voice says you don't belonghere.
Try responding.
This is a stretch moment thatsimple reframe reminds your
brain that discomfort is notdanger, it's growth.
Second shift from performance tolearning when you're looking at
evaluating your behavior.
Carol Dweck's Research on growthMindset shows that when we
(08:38):
define success as learning andimproving, mistakes become
opportunities for feedbackinstead of evidence that we're a
fraud.
You don't have to be flawless.
You just have to be learningthird ground in what's constant.
Your values, and your strengthsare the stable foundation
(08:59):
beneath any changing role.
When everything feels new, goback to what's always been true
about you and lead from there.
Fourth, let your identity catchup.
Instead of frantically addingnew skills, spend time
reflecting on the kind of leaderyou're becoming.
Ask yourself, what new ways ofthinking or being will this role
(09:21):
require of me that identity workbuilds a kind of confidence that
lasts far longer than anychecklist of competencies or
skills.
And lastly, don't forget thosearound you.
Connect with people who see thereal you and imposter thoughts
grow in isolation.
Sharing your experiences withtrusted peers or mentors or a
(09:44):
coach can remind you that thisis a shared human experience.
Not a personal flaw.
Now, as I said, it's so temptingwhen you feel like an imposter
to rush into action.
To read more books, collect morefeedback, get another
certification, hoping the rightskill will erase the doubt.
But that rarely works becauseimposter syndrome isn't about
(10:06):
capability.
It's about identity.
When you slow down and do theinner work, when you let your
identity grow into alignmentwith your new context.
You build confidence that's notdependent on external
validation.
You stop performing forbelonging and start leading from
authenticity and that kind ofconfidence.
(10:29):
The quiet, steady kind spillsout to your team when they see
you modeling self-compassion andgrowth.
They feel permission to do thesame, and that's how imposter
moments become collective growthmoments.
So maybe imposter syndrome isn'ta sign that you're a fraud.
Maybe it's an invitation to slowdown, breathe, and grow into the
(10:52):
bigger version of yourself thatyour world now requires.
It's not something to cure, it'ssomething to listen to because
every time you step into abigger arena, there will be a
gap between who you've been andwho you're becoming.
That gap isn't proof that youdon't belong.
It's proof that you're evolving.
(11:15):
So here's a reflection challengefor you for this week.
I want you to think of a momentrecently when you felt out of
your depth.
Ask yourself if this feelingisn't proof that I'm inadequate,
what if it's proof that I'mexpanding?
Then take a few minutes to askwhat part of me needs to grow
(11:37):
into this opportunity?
And if you lead others, rememberwhen your team members share
imposter feelings, resist theurge to just reassure them.
Instead, help them see thegrowth beneath the discomfort.
Because when leaders normalizethat, we create cultures where
stretch and safety coexist.
(11:59):
And that's where truedevelopment happens.
If this episode resonated withyou, share it with a fellow
leader who might need thatreminder today.
And if you'd like, supportnavigating your own stretch
moments, of course, I would loveto partner with you through
one-on-one coaching or one ofour group programs at Strong
Leaders Serve.
You can learnmore@strongleadersserve.com.
(12:21):
Until next time, stay grounded,grow with intention, and keep
leading strong.
You've probably heard the termimposter syndrome so many times
that it's almost becomebackground noise.
Just another label that leadersquietly carry.
There has been a lot said aboutimposter syndrome and imposter
phenomenon.
Some even argue that it was aterm created solely to stop
women's progress.
(00:22):
There are even entire coachingprograms dedicated to helping
clients deal with it.
But regardless of how you feelabout it.
I think many of us have hadtimes where we felt like we
didn't belong in the position wewere in, like we were out over
our skis, or acting beyond ourcurrent abilities or
preparation.
Like we needed to learn to fakeit until we make it really
(00:45):
quick.
So acknowledging that, that's afeeling that many of us have had
at some point in our lives.
I wanna take this opportunity togo a little deeper and look at
it in a different way.
Perhaps a way that might be amore enduring solution than the
advice to fake it until you makeit or simply think yourself into
(01:05):
being more confident.
The question at the core ofthat, that I'd like to consider
is, what if imposter syndromeisn't really a problem to fix,
but instead a helpful signalthat you're growing?
So let's get into it.
I'm Terry Schmidt, executive andleadership coach at Strong
Leader Serve, where we partnerwith organizations to prepare
(01:28):
leaders for the everyday stretchmoments of leadership.
Those moments where what got youhere isn't going to get you
where you need to go, and thisis the Strong Leader Serve
podcast.
(02:33):
All right, so to make thisreally practical, let's talk
about a leader that I will callMaya.
Maya had just been promoted.
She was now leading people whoused to be her peers.
Her first big meeting came withsenior leadership.
She prepared for days, slides,talking points, backup slides
(02:53):
for her backup slides.
But as the meeting started, thatfamiliar voice whispered in her
mind, you don't belong here.
They're going to find out you'renot ready.
She smiled, contributed, evenreceived positive feedback, but
afterwards she told me that shefelt like she'd fooled everyone.
(03:13):
Does that sound familiar?
Maybe your version came after apromotion, a new client, or when
someone introduced you as anexpert and you instantly wanted
to hide.
We often call it impostersyndrome, but what's really
happening beneath that label?
If you look back in history, theterm imposter syndrome are
really imposter phenomenon camefrom psychologists, Pauline Klan
(03:36):
and Suzanne IMEs in the late1970s.
They were studying highachieving woman, who, despite
clear success, felt undeservingof their accomplishments.
Since then, it's been used todescribe anyone who feels like
they don't fully belong in a newrole, environment, or
opportunity.
But when we look beneath thebuzzword, imposter syndrome
(03:58):
isn't just about self-doubt.
It's about a mismatch betweenwho we've known ourselves to be
and the environment we now findourselves in.
When you step into a new levelof leadership, your context
expands.
Suddenly you're operating in amore complex system.
You're leading people withdifferent experiences, juggling
(04:19):
competing priorities, and beingseen in ways you haven't been
before, but your identity.
The story you tell yourselfabout who you are and what
you're capable of takes longerto catch up.
That's the gap where imposterfeelings live.
It's the space between your oldcertainty.
And your new complexity.
(04:40):
For example, say you're movinginto your first leadership role.
You're coming from the certaintyof being the high performer,
knowing that you are the onethat people can turn to to get
the job done.
And in that identity, your focusis on getting others' approval.
It feels good.
It's safe Now in your new role,your regular behaviors for
(05:02):
getting approval are not workinganymore.
In fact, if you jump in and dothe work, that's actually
frowned upon, but you want tomaintain your existing identity
as the one who gets things done.
While your new role calls forsomething much more complex than
that, it calls for you toempower others to get things
done.
You're still seeing yourselfthrough yesterday's lens, even
(05:25):
though your new world nowdemands something more.
That gap can create dissonance.
You might feel like you'repretending when in reality
you're just in transit and ifyou don't recognize that you
need to shift that part of youridentity, you will never fully
feel adequate or qualified inyour new role.
Regardless of how manyleadership development courses
(05:48):
you take, imposter syndromeoften isn't an indication that
you're unqualified.
But instead an indication thatyou need to shift part of your
identity.
This takes intentional effortthat often feels uncomfortable,
but it's uncomfortable for areason.
And that reason has everythingto do with how your brain works.
(06:09):
As we've talked about manytimes, your brain loves
predictability.
It equates familiarity withsafety.
So when your environment changesfaster than your sense of self,
your brain sounds the alarm.
It's saying, this feelsuncertain.
This feels risky.
Let's pull back.
That's why imposter syndromeoften comes with strong physical
(06:30):
sensations.
Your heart racing, your voiceshaking, your mind, spinning.
It's your nervous system tryingto keep you safe.
But here's the reframe.
Your brain isn't wrong to alertyou.
It's just misinterpreting what'shappening.
It's seeing growth as dangerwhen really.
(06:51):
It's transformation.
So instead of trying to silencethe imposter voice or power
through it, what if you listenedto it differently?
What if you treated it as asignal that your context has
outgrown your current selfstory, your current identity,
and that your work isn't toprove yourself, but to become
(07:13):
yourself in this new space?
When imposter thoughts hit, mostleaders do one of two things.
They either double down ondoing, trying to earn their
place by working harder,mastering new skills, and
collecting more proof ofcompetence, or they pull back,
staying quiet to avoid exposure.
(07:34):
Both responses make sense, butboth also miss the deeper
opportunity.
Now I do agree that one way tofeel better, as I saw posted on
LinkedIn recently, is to findsmall tasks of your new role
that align with your strengthsand just get out there and take
action.
(07:54):
That does give you some reps tobuild confidence, but that
confidence will be much moredurable and long lasting.
When you also do the inner workof aligning who you are with the
new world that you're leadingin, here are a few ideas to get
started with that first pauseand name it when that anxious
(08:17):
voice says you don't belonghere.
Try responding.
This is a stretch moment thatsimple reframe reminds your
brain that discomfort is notdanger, it's growth.
Second shift from performance tolearning when you're looking at
evaluating your behavior.
Carol Dweck's Research on growthMindset shows that when we
(08:38):
define success as learning andimproving, mistakes become
opportunities for feedbackinstead of evidence that we're a
fraud.
You don't have to be flawless.
You just have to be learningthird ground in what's constant.
Your values, and your strengthsare the stable foundation
(08:59):
beneath any changing role.
When everything feels new, goback to what's always been true
about you and lead from there.
Fourth, let your identity catchup.
Instead of frantically addingnew skills, spend time
reflecting on the kind of leaderyou're becoming.
Ask yourself, what new ways ofthinking or being will this role
(09:21):
require of me that identity workbuilds a kind of confidence that
lasts far longer than anychecklist of competencies or
skills.
And lastly, don't forget thosearound you.
Connect with people who see thereal you and imposter thoughts
grow in isolation.
Sharing your experiences withtrusted peers or mentors or a
(09:44):
coach can remind you that thisis a shared human experience.
Not a personal flaw.
Now, as I said, it's so temptingwhen you feel like an imposter
to rush into action.
To read more books, collect morefeedback, get another
certification, hoping the rightskill will erase the doubt.
But that rarely works becauseimposter syndrome isn't about
(10:06):
capability.
It's about identity.
When you slow down and do theinner work, when you let your
identity grow into alignmentwith your new context.
You build confidence that's notdependent on external
validation.
You stop performing forbelonging and start leading from
authenticity and that kind ofconfidence.
(10:29):
The quiet, steady kind spillsout to your team when they see
you modeling self-compassion andgrowth.
They feel permission to do thesame, and that's how imposter
moments become collective growthmoments.
So maybe imposter syndrome isn'ta sign that you're a fraud.
Maybe it's an invitation to slowdown, breathe, and grow into the
(10:52):
bigger version of yourself thatyour world now requires.
It's not something to cure, it'ssomething to listen to because
every time you step into abigger arena, there will be a
gap between who you've been andwho you're becoming.
That gap isn't proof that youdon't belong.
It's proof that you're evolving.
(11:15):
So here's a reflection challengefor you for this week.
I want you to think of a momentrecently when you felt out of
your depth.
Ask yourself if this feelingisn't proof that I'm inadequate,
what if it's proof that I'mexpanding?
Then take a few minutes to askwhat part of me needs to grow
(11:37):
into this opportunity?
And if you lead others, rememberwhen your team members share
imposter feelings, resist theurge to just reassure them.
Instead, help them see thegrowth beneath the discomfort.
Because when leaders normalizethat, we create cultures where
stretch and safety coexist.
(11:59):
And that's where truedevelopment happens.
If this episode resonated withyou, share it with a fellow
leader who might need thatreminder today.
And if you'd like, supportnavigating your own stretch
moments, of course, I would loveto partner with you through
one-on-one coaching or one ofour group programs at Strong
Leaders Serve.
You can learnmore@strongleadersserve.com.
(12:21):
Until next time, stay grounded,grow with intention, and keep
leading strong.
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