You’re Not a Fraud, You’re a Leader.
How imposter feelings can deepen trust, strengthen teams, and make space for real connection in leadership
In the early years of my academic career, things looked like they were going well. I was publishing, winning grants, getting invited to speak at conferences. From the outside, it seemed like I was thriving. But inside, I was spiralling. Every success came with a spike of anxiety, not relief. Every time I wrote another spiel about my own expertise, I felt like I was describing a stranger. And the more I managed to convince other people that I knew what I was doing, the less I believed it myself.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that my self-doubt was quietly tunnelling underneath the very infrastructure of my success. It was hard to celebrate progress when my inner narrative was uneasy with achievement and always questioning whether I deserved it. And because no one else seemed to be struggling, I assumed it was just me. Everyone else seemed almost overly comfortable with their own expertise. I marvelled at their confidence.
Eventually, I began to understand that this was more common than I’d ever realised. In fact, many of the people I admired most - people I thought had it all figured out - were navigating similar feelings of not being enough. This experience is known as imposter syndrome: the persistent belief that your success is undeserved, or that perhaps you’re not as capable than others think you are.
Understanding Imposter Feelings: The Psychology of Self-Doubt
The term “imposter phenomenon” was first introduced in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. It describes a pattern of thinking where people struggle to internalise their accomplishments, attributing success to luck or timing rather than skill or effort. There is often an underlying fear that others will eventually realise they’re not as competent as they appear.
This shows up frequently in leadership. A 2019 review found that up to 82% of people experience imposter feelings during their careers, with especially high rates among executive women and professionals from minority backgrounds
Imposter feelings also tend to intensify with increasing responsibility. As our roles expand, so do expectations - both external and internal. The more visible our work becomes, the more exposed we can feel. And often, the more competent we are, the harder we are on ourselves.
Why Competence Doesn’t Always Bring Confidence
Paradoxically, imposter feelings often show up strongest in high achievers. There are several reasons for this:
Perfectionism: High standards can make us focus on what’s missing, rather than what’s already been accomplished.
Fast learning: Leaders are often required to pick things up quickly, leaving them feeling like they’re always catching up.
Increased visibility: Leadership brings scrutiny. When your work is constantly evaluated, it’s easy to second-guess yourself.
Comparison culture: The more successful you become, the more you compare yourself to other high performers. It’s easy to spot their strengths while dwelling on your own gaps.
It’s also important to acknowledge the role of structural inequality. Women, First Nations people, and others from historically marginalised groups are more likely to experience imposter feelings: not because they are more self-doubting, but because they often operate in environments where their legitimacy is questioned, and their achievements scrutinised more harshly.
That’s why conversations about imposter syndrome have expanded beyond individual psychology to consider the broader social and structural conditions in which these feelings arise. The truth is, imposter feelings don’t occur in a vacuum. They’re often shaped and sustained by the systems we operate in. Environments where success is narrowly defined, where leadership is homogenous, and where assertiveness is rewarded in some but punished in others, can all deepen self-doubt, especially for those already underrepresented.
For women and minoritised professionals, this isn’t just an internal struggle. It’s a reflection of external messages - spoken and unspoken - that suggest you don’t quite belong, or that you have more to prove. Research shows that women are socialised to hedge their opinions, soften their ambitions, and downplay their authority to avoid backlash. Over time, this compounds. When someone isn’t recognised or promoted, it doesn’t just stall their career. It reinforces the idea that they aren’t good enough - and the cycle of imposter feelings deepens.
The Hidden Costs of Unexamined Self-Doubt
While imposter feelings are common and understandable, they can drive unhelpful behaviours if left unchecked. These patterns often stem from an unconscious desire to prove our worth, avoid exposure, or manage anxiety. They may include:
Overcompensating and Burning Out. Leaders who feel like frauds often try to make up for it by working harder than everyone else. This can result in overwork, micromanagement, and an inability to rest. I once worked with a senior leader who regularly put in 70-hour weeks and was involved in every decision. When we explored what was behind this, she said: "If I'm not working harder than everyone else, they’ll realise I don’t deserve this role." Her efforts were well-intended, but unsustainable. Her team was disengaged, innovation had slowed, and burnout was creeping in.
Micromanaging and Controlling. When self-doubt takes over, leaders may try to control everything around them. This kind of defensive control creates dependency rather than capability. It can also send the message that team members aren’t trusted - limiting autonomy, development, and morale.
Avoiding Difficult Conversations. Some leaders fear that offering feedback or asking for help will reveal their inadequacies. This avoidance, however, only makes things worse. Issues go unaddressed, relationships fray, and trust erodes. One CEO I worked with confided that he avoided performance conversations because he was afraid staff would realise he was out of his depth. Ironically, his silence was doing more harm than the feedback he was avoiding.
The Perfection Trap. Many leaders driven by imposter feelings try to avoid mistakes at all costs. They hold themselves to impossible standards and expect the same from others. Teams in these environments often stop taking risks, hide failures, and avoid raising concerns for fear of disappointing their leader.
Isolation and Withdrawal. Perhaps most damaging is the tendency to withdraw. Leaders who fear being “found out” may retreat from colleagues, mentors, and support systems. This isolation cuts them off from the very relationships that could help them stay grounded, regulated, and resourced.
Reframing Imposter Feelings as a Leadership Signal
Imposter feelings are often treated as evidence of inadequacy. In reality, they can be a powerful indicator of self-awareness and growth. Leaders who feel this way are often the ones who care most about doing well, who hold themselves to high standards, and who are navigating complexity with integrity. The good news is that by addressing our own imposter syndrome, we can create a culture where others feel more confident with their own competence, too. Here’s some things we can do:
Normalise the experience. Talk openly about imposter feelings as part of the leadership journey. When senior leaders share their experiences, it creates psychological safety for others to do the same. This reduces shame and fosters openness.
Focus on learning, not proving. Encourage a shift from performance to development. Leaders who are invited to grow - rather than prove themselves - are more willing to experiment, take risks, and seek feedback.
Value humility and curiosity. Create a culture where it’s safe not to know. Curiosity and self-reflection are strengths, not signs of weakness. Modelling these behaviours builds trust and unlocks learning across the organisation.
Invest in connection. Isolation intensifies imposter feelings. Build peer support structures, mentorship networks, and leadership circles where challenges can be shared and normalised. People are more resilient when they don’t feel alone.
The Leadership Invitation
Imposter feelings don’t mean you’re in the wrong role. Often, they reflect your care, your integrity, and your willingness to grow. The goal isn’t to eliminate these feelings, but to relate to them with compassion and awareness. To lead not from fear, but from the knowledge that you are a work in progress - just like everyone else.
Remember, your team doesn’t need perfection, they need presence, realness and someone who shows that leadership is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions. Leadership doesn’t ask you to be more than human. It asks you to bring your whole humanity to the table. That’s how change happens - within teams, across cultures, and inside ourselves.
References
LaDonna KA, Ginsburg S, Watling C. “Rising to the level of your incompetence”: what physicians’ self-assessment of their performance reveals about the imposter syndrome in medicine. Acad Med. 2018;93(5):763-768. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000002046
Mullangi S, Jagsi R. Imposter Syndrome: Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom. JAMA. 2019;322(5):403–404. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.9788
