The Impact of Leadership Imposter Syndrome
Is it dangerous for leaders to have imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome in leadership is like cancer, especially if you are in the C-Suite. It is a silent killer that eats away your confidence and takes away your ability to lead.
But just like the disease, imposter syndrome is not something that others can easily see. But for leaders who suffer from it, it is very real, and its debilitating effects will be felt by both the leader and their team.
After journeying with many leaders in their leadership development, I have seen the toll that imposter syndrome can take on them if they do not address it. Here are my personal observations of how things can go south if you do not deal with your imposter syndrome as a leader:
Your decision-making is affected
The absence of self-confidence can significantly impair your ability to lead. This is a direct result of your self-doubt, which can cause you to make impulse decisions and take actions that are not aligned with your goals.
On the other extreme, imposter syndrome can cause you to overanalyse every detail and the potential consequences of it. This might leave you suffering from decision paralysis, where you are hesitant to commit to any action.
Your authority is questioned
If you allow your leadership imposter syndrome to control the way you lead, you might come across as irritable to others and affect your work relationships. It could manifest as an inferiority complex that you try to mask by becoming passive-aggressive in your leadership, which only causes frustrations to accumulate regarding the way you lead.
This can cause a considerable dent in your reputation and your standing with your team as a leader. The moment you give your team reason to question your authority, it erodes the trust they might once have had in your leadership. Without that trust, your team would find it difficult to "submit" to the decisions you make
Your performance is compromised
As a leadership coach to C-Suite level executives and higher management, all I can say about leaders is that leaders themselves are human. And all humans are bound to have their ups and downs. The dangerous thing about not dealing with imposter syndrome as a leader is that it can consume you.
The tell-tale sign is when you begin feeling unmotivated at work. In my leadership coaching sessions, I've seen how this lack of motivation inevitably affects their performance at work, and could potentially put your promotion and progression in your career at risk.
Face It Head On
As a leadership coach in Singapore, I can't help but overstate the importance of taking action and freeing yourself from the imposter mindset.
Feelings of inadequacy are normal. In fact, it's natural for any leader at all levels to feel this way when faced with immense responsibilities. But it will fester and destroy you unless you take action to overcome it.
And if this is truly something that you are struggling with as a leader, don’t hesitate to connect with me!
