It’s Not Impostor Syndrome, It’s Systemic Racism

“You don’t belong here.” Nobody says it out loud, but Black professionals feel it all the time.

In this episode, we’re flipping the script on impostor syndrome. Too often, we’re told our self-doubt is a personal failing, that we just need to be more confident or stop being so sensitive. But what if those feelings aren’t internal at all? What if they’re responses to systemic exclusion, coded invalidation, and racialized bias?

This conversation builds on key themes from Season 1 (Episodes 4 & 6) and recent Season 3 episodes about code-switching and new leadership models. Now, we’re going deeper into how Black professionals are pathologized instead of supported, and what it means to reclaim our narratives.

We explore:

• The difference between internal doubt and external invalidation
• How impostor syndrome language masks racism and structural exclusion
• Real-life moments when self-doubt felt logical, not pathological
• How organizations can stop gaslighting Black professionals and start dismantling harmful dynamics

 Have you ever second-guessed yourself, only to realize you were reacting to a system designed to exclude you? Share your story with us or tag #Not4Prophets.

RESOURCES

Are you a woman leader who is depleted, exhausted and looking for a way out? Check out Trenia's 5-part limited series podcast The Burnout Rescue Plan. Click here to listen.

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