Imposter Syndrome

September 20, 2023

Recently, in the HR world, the term “imposter syndrome” has become a very popular topic. If you are like me, at first I wasn’t quite sure what the term “imposter syndrome” meant.

Imposter syndrome refers to the “state of mind someone finds themself in, when they are recently promoted into a new role, and feel very inadequate to be in that role.”

To me, the phrase “imposter syndrome” sounds more like a bad Netflix Series or an strange illness 😳.

Imposter = “fake”; syndrome = “condition”… thus you have a “fake condition”.

As leaders, we’ve all faced that stage in our career journey where we feel inadequate, that’s called “being human”. And heck, I face that daily. (Can I get an amen up in here?)

I prefer to refer to this stage as the “Role Model Position”. To me this sounds so much better than a fake condition or illness. I prefer to see the glass as half full versus half empty. If my glass is half empty, I simply need a refill. (sweet tea, please)

What is the “Role Model Position”? Role Model = “someone you aspire to be like”, Position = “place of being”. Simply stated, it’s “acting like the someone you aspire to be like”.

Let’s face it, we all have role models in our life. Whether it’s our parents, a mentor, coach, or someone you have emulated your career after and want to be like. Usually, it’s a combination of characteristics from multiple people who have influenced your life, up until this point.

Like it, or not, YOU are a role model for someone else.

Someone (or more than one person) is watching you, how you handle situations, how you handle opportunities, challenges, adversity, etc. No, you’re not gonna get it right the first time or even may be the second or third time. We all influence others, whether we want to or not. Welcome to Leadership!

So when you feel inadequate in your role, and we all do, it’s actually a “Role Model Position”, not a “fake condition”.

Remember, influence someone today in a positive way! #bestlife50

And get that refill on the sweet tea!