If you are a reader of the business press like I am, you may be wondering why the sudden fascination with “impostor syndrome?” Where did this epidemic come from?
Because I consider myself a student of the of peak performance
psychology, I got under the hood to figure this out.
Words Bring Power. Or It Robs You of Power.
Impostor syndrome is an issue of aligning yourself with a myth. Chasing a myth is a fruitless search for a standard that’s ill-defined or never been reached. As a result, it sabotages all our work to develop a growth mindset. That’s why you feel false, even if in your heart, it feels like a noble pursuit.
Here are my top 5 impostor syndrome archetypes. Plus, my tips for preventing them from infecting your team:
- Overachiever: You can’t “overachieve” a goal, or else you’ve missed the mark. Winning salespeople speak of “exceeding expectations,” and that’s why you should, too.
- Perfectionist: Perfection is never achieved, except in gymnastics. As a result, you’ll become perfect at failing.
- Multitasker: As Simon Sinek says, you are not good at multitasking, you are only good at being distracted. Take a tip from your tech team and practice agile sprint planning with all your Ops.
- Always on: When you rush to answer an email at midnight, are you rushing to complete something time-sensitive, for instance, with an offshore team or client? If not, give yourself space.
- Hustle: Taking credit for working hard is like taking credit for being pro-environment, or pro-education. Everyone’s doing it. Think different, smarter.
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