Do you ever feel like a fraud? How do you deal with imposter syndrome?
Abdul Rehman
15 replies
Replies
Jacob Varghese@jacobvar
You will be overwhelmed in some way or another when you seek growth.
Having reported to and advised dozens of CEOs and executives, I have found that no one knows everything. And everyone learns as they go at one point or the other.
If you are not at least a bit uncomfortable, you are probably not challenging yourself enough.
Be an imposter and grow out of it. Until you are faced with the next challenge. Rinse and repeat to keep growing.
Share
Life of a founder just keep pushing forward!
Folio Wallet App
Every time I do something new, a small part of me says that I'm not good enough. Sometimes I manage to remember that it's better to measure by a bigger scale. I couldn't have even imagined being where I am now, say, 5 years ago.
Knowing that almost everyone feels it at some time. The best stuff happens outside of your comfort zone
Bababot
Its very real and when I feel it I try to look at my best work that remind me that I am good and not postering anything..
Absolutely, I combat imposter syndrome by focusing on my unique journey and accomplishments, rather than comparisons.
App Finder
As always, the trick is not minding that it hurts.
Anyone who has genuine concern and empathy for their customers, colleagues, and investors will encounter impostor syndrome. As a top tier product exec a $1B+ company, I used to coach my teams that impostor syndrome is a good thing because it keep you honest and open to input.
The challenge is that impostor syndrome is a type of fear and our instinct is typically to avoid feelings like this. Even after delivering multiple successful products, at least one that has been used by millions of users, I will still question my own judgement, the root of impostor syndrome.
At the end of the day, the only way to handle it is to move forward, be honest about failures, input, and uncertainty, and then to do your best to use your empathy to make the right decisions to bring the maximum joy to everyone who touches your products.
Launching soon!
Oh, impostor syndrome, the sneakiest bug in the code of confidence! I tackle it by reminding myself that even software updates have their glitches before they become flawless.
BodySherpa
I think some level of can be healthy -- the dose makes the poison. But generally the best antidote for me is continuing to walk the path and develop the skills. Overtime the real-world evidence of expertise gets so loud it drowns out the negative self-talk.
I know a few people who deal with it. It also happened to me. It seems to me that as there's almost always a role model, someone who seems to be much more knowledgeable and proficient in your area of expertise it's easy to feel like nobody. Also, we can be very critical of ourselves and probably much more aware of our own shortcomings.
Lastly, people tend to share their success stories and generate positivity, so it's easy to get in the mood where everyone around seems to be better, more capable and smarter.
Ok, but what can we do about it? How can we deal with it? I'd say we need to acknowledge that other people also do not know everything, that many success stories were preceded by failures and problems and that we are still where we are because we do know our deal.
Finally - and this is very subjective - you can follow some big names only to realize that they ever so often share thoughts that aren't that deep or are definitely not as smart as they seem.
Think about it: these guys also are flawed, you could punch holes in their reasoning and realize there are things these guys do not know. And yet, they are big names, despite these issues.
If it didn't stop them, it shouldn't stop you.
Yes of course, sometimes I feel like a fraud. When that happens, I remind myself of my achievements and talk to trusted friends or mentors for guidance and encouragement.
I set achievable goals and focus on meeting them. Small, manageable steps help me feel more competent and less like a fruad
I went a college where everyone seems so creative and intelligent. But at the end of day, people often show their best parts in public or social media. Don't worry about that. Believe yourself!
