Get rid of your imposter syndrome - The world needs you.

I’ve lived with impostor syndrome for most of my career.

And to be honest, I still work on it. It was particularly acute at the beginning of my career. I could sit through a client meeting with a colleague and not utter a word. When I came back more confidently some years later, people struggled to remember me from those early days.

Impostor syndrome isn’t just “doubting yourself.”

It’s a pattern of self-interference.

It shows up as invisible rules you impose on yourself:

∙ Don’t take up too much space.

∙ Don’t ask too directly.

∙ Don’t be seen as ambitious.

∙ Don’t risk being judged.

∙ Don’t look “too” confident.

On the surface, these look like ethics. Modesty. Good behaviour.

In practice, they are a brutal way of blocking your own progress.

I’ve seen this again and again with leaders and founders. People who want more responsibility, more impact, more influence. But who also carry this moral code that says visibility is suspect, ambition is dangerous, and asserting needs is somehow wrong. So they constantly try to control the narrative.

The result isn’t virtue.

It’s stagnation.

You know, there’s a parallel here with a lot of work done in psychology around so-called “nice guy” or people-pleasing patterns. It’s not about being kind. It’s about being afraid. Afraid of conflict. Afraid of taking space. Afraid of being seen.

Underneath impostor syndrome, very often, it’s not humility.

It’s fear dressed up as principle.

And this timing is important.

We live in a world where plenty of people have no problem taking up space. Often for the wrong reasons.

The real risk right now isn’t that good leaders become too visible.

It’s that they stay quiet, over-controlled, and out of the room when decisions are made.

Getting past impostor syndrome isn’t about becoming louder or more arrogant.

It’s about getting out of your own way.

Because leadership isn’t about feeling ready.

It’s about being willing to be seen before you feel comfortable.

So no more self-interference. Get out of your own way. The world needs you.