This percentage goes up significantly amongst high performing leaders too.
‘Do something that scares you every day’! Whew, what a challenge. I’m not sure how I might achieve that without hurting myself. Maybe keep a pet snake? I hate snakes.
Seriously, ‘Do something that scares you…’ Of-course the context needs to be relevant for you.
For me, it’s probably, do something that gets my brand noticed, do a talk or star in a video for example. This scares me, my son tells me my social channels are lame. Whew, tough audience. But then he isn’t my market. Still scares me though, as I don’t want to waste people’s time. I need to know I’m offering up something worthwhile.
However your insecurities manifest, if we are honest with ourselves we all suffer from a form of this at times.
The good news is once you recognise this thinking pattern, there are some good ways to beat it.
Typical symptoms
(Note, recognising any of these symptoms isn’t a straight diagnosis)
• Self-doubt.
• Crediting external factors to luck.
• Decreased self-confidence, low self-esteem.
• Isolating yourself from team members.
• Perfectionism.
• Overworked or burnout.
• Setting impossibly high standards for yourself.
• Intense fear of success or failure.
Ideas for beating Imposter Syndrome
• Read your CV.
• Keep a Gratitude Journal.
• Create Case Studies.
• Embrace a Growth Mindset.
• Find a mentor and surround yourself with professional people who know you.
• Recognise negative thinking and challenge it right away. Don’t let it grow.
• Reframe negative thoughts onto positive ones.
• Celebrate wins at the time they occur.
• Focus on facts, not feelings.
• Admit you won’t know everything, but you do know where to find the information.
Remember, if you have been called in to a meeting you are an expert in the room, there’s a reason you are there. Embrace this, take your energy from it.
If all else fails this is a good one: Think of everyone in the room as being in their underwear, chuckle to yourself and get on with it as it’s only your head playing with you – you’ve got this.
(Excerpt from a session between members of the Independent Board)