How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
(Especially when you're successful and still secretly unsure.)
You've earned respect. You've delivered results. But you still wonder if you're really as capable as people think.
That quiet self-doubt? It has a name, and it's more common than you think.
Imposter syndrome sounds like this: "I got lucky." "I'm good...but not that good." "If they really knew, they'd think twice."
It's the persistent belief that you're not as competent as others perceive you to be. That you've somehow outperformed your actual ability, and it's only a matter of time before you're exposed.
When Imposter Syndrome Strikes Hardest
It doesn't always show up at the beginning of your career. In fact, it's most common when you're operating at your edge.
It tends to creep in when:
✔️ You step into a new role
✔️ You're surrounded by other A+ players
✔️ You work for a leader who only values what they know, overlooking what makes you different
✔️ You're changing industries or navigating uncertainty
✔️ The stakes suddenly feel higher than ever
Even the most seasoned professionals, people with decades of experience, feel it.
One of my clients said this after landing a senior role: "I kept waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, 'We made a mistake.' It took months to realize the discomfort I felt wasn't proof I didn't belong. It was proof I was stretching into something bigger than I'd done before."
The Uncomfortable Truth About Belonging
Here's what most people won't tell you: The feeling of not belonging isn't proof you're in the wrong room. It's often proof that you've stepped into a room that's meant to grow you.
Professionals who stay in their comfort zones rarely experience imposter syndrome because they aren't pushing their limits. If you're feeling it, you're expanding.
That discomfort isn't a flaw. It's a feature of growth.
So How Do You Move Forward When Your Confidence Wavers?
1. Normalize the Discomfort
→ Feeling out of place doesn't mean you are out of place.
→ Growth always feels awkward before it feels aligned.
✔ Try this: Name it. "This is imposter syndrome, not a reflection of my actual ability."
2. Build Your Professional Value Map
→ You're not starting over, you're building on experience.
→ The real shift is learning to translate your value into a new context.
✔ Try this: Inventory what you do know: problem-solving, strategic thinking, relationship-building, execution. Then connect the dots between those strengths and what matters in your current role or industry.
The deeper work: Clarify your professional narrative. What's the through-line in your career? What problems do you solve differently? The more clearly you can articulate your value, the more secure you'll feel in any room.
3. Practice Owning Your Place
→ You don't need to over-explain or prove yourself in every interaction.
→ Show up as the high-performer you already are.
✔ Try this: Before key conversations, revisit 3-5 moments where you delivered under pressure. Lead from that version of you.
The Foundation of Strategic Confidence
After coaching hundreds of high-achieving professionals, here's what I've seen:
The ones who overcome imposter syndrome don't just "fake it till they make it." They do the internal work of identifying and owning their strengths, so they can lead from a place of clarity, not doubt.
When you know your edge, your unique combination of skills, insight, and experience, you stop questioning whether you belong.
You know you do.
This is the work of defining your edge. It's the intersection of what you do best, what energizes you, and what the market values. Once you name it, you can use it as a foundation for every pivot, promotion, and leadership challenge ahead.
Bottom line: Imposter syndrome doesn't mean you're unqualified. It means you're evolving.
And the antidote isn't waiting until you feel ready, it's getting crystal clear on your value so you can show up ready now.
You're not an imposter. You're in motion. And the more clearly you define your edge, the more confidently you'll grow into it.
