Feel like an imposter? Here's the process I use.
I’ve got 430 concept pages in my Obsidian vault. These are the notes on ideas I’ve found important enough to revisit, wrestle with, and build on. They’re the raw material behind this newsletter.
You’d think I’d have covered of all the big ideas by now.
But none of them are about imposter syndrome.
That struck me recently while I was out on a run. I wondered why has this term, which shows up in so many professional contexts, never come up in mine?
According to Google Trends, imposter syndrome is 11x more searched than psychological safety, a concept that I’ve written about four times already! So what gives? Why don’t I have anything on imposter syndrome?
During continued reflection on the run, I realized that the concept resonates, just not the term, or what “syndrome” implies to me.
I’m an imposter…
Do I often feel like an idiot? Oh yeah.
Do I often wonder what I’m doing in this room / meeting? Absolutely.
Do I often attribute any success to luck as opposed to skill? As recently as this week! 🤣
Classic imposter syndrome.
So if I have all the “symptoms” of it, why haven’t I ever given myself the full blown diagnosis?
…but only temporarily
Because syndrome is synonymous with disease or disorder. It implies a long-term chronic condition. Something you’re dealing with constantly.
For some, it is a chronic state! A constant fear that they’ll be exposed as frauds.
But that’s not how I experience it. I see it differently. Not as a syndrome, but as a signal.
A signal that I’m in the right place, slightly outside my comfort zone.
And like any signal, it’s not something to fear. It’s something to respond to.
The Prescription
So what is the prescription to respond to that signal?
It’s not more cowbell, although it couldn’t hurt.
To make imposter syndrome a temporary condition, the prescription is simple, but not always easy: Exposure, Honest Mirrors, and Agency.
Exposure
Put yourself in situations where you feel like an imposter - intentionally. This gives you access to real practitioners of a skill.
The fear behind imposter syndrome is really a question: “Where do I stand?”
Exposure begins to answer that question. Not with a vague an uninformed self-assessment, but by surrounding yourself with the real thing.
Exposure gives you context to the spectrum of performance of a skill. You build vocabulary, intuition, and benchmarks on something that’s unfamiliar to you.
Honest Mirrors
An honest mirror doesn’t flatter or distort. It tells the truth and reflects reality.
An honest mirror can be a person, a test, or a tough experience. Your goal is to get accurate feedback on your performance.
The key is: Are you willing to look in the mirror?
If you are, you now have accurate feedback. This enables you to build out the spectrum, and place yourself on it.
The are two major results that can happen from this step. You learn that you’re either:
- Ahead of where you thought you were (Hooray!)
- Behind where you thought you were (Congrats! Now you know.)
Either way, you win. You’ve traded fear for clarity.
Agency
This final step is where transformation happens.
Once you know where you stand, agency means you do something about it.
Watch videos. Ask questions. Read books. Take a class. Learn!
And most importantly, practice.
You don’t make progress with insight alone. You get there by getting in the reps. You must intentionally work hard to improve your performance, and slowly move up the spectrum.
Recent Examples for Me
I debated whether to include these next two examples. After all, who wants to admit to being an imposter in their own newsletter? 🤣 But hey, since we’re friends, here we go.
One year ago I had only a surface-level understanding of Profit and Loss statements, but I knew they were going to be relevant to my future. So I went deep, fast.
I read books. I watched videos. I opened up Excel and started doing math.
Today I analyze them professionally.
Six months ago I’d never been involved in a business sale. I didn’t know the first thing about deal structure, financing options, or even the vocabulary used.
So again, I read books, watched videos, read articles, and asked questions of tons of people who work in this space. And though I couldn’t exactly buy a company to practice, I threw myself into this world.
Fast forward to today and I meet with investment bankers, work with acquisition entrepreneurs, and give feedback on deal structure. I taught what I knew to people who knew less, which started to position me as someone in the know, so people brought me more deals/questions, which helped me learn faster. A virtuous cycle!
All because I was willing to be an imposter…but only temporarily. I was honest about where I stood, then did the work move forward.
Call to Action
If you’re feeling like an imposter right now, that’s great! It means you’re pushing the envelope and developing as a person.
Where you’re feeling like an imposter, apply the prescription: Further expose yourself to practitioners. Get honest feedback. Then take action to improve.
Don’t get immobilized by fear. Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Be willing to be an imposter, but only temporarily 😁
Kevin
PS - What’s something you’re learning, or feeling underqualified for right now? Hit reply and tell me. I read and respond to every one.