The challenge with imposter syndrome is that most people suffer in silence. This is because their belief is that if they speak up about it, it will materialize/act as proof of their lack of competence and cause others to review their positive perceptions of the individual.

This is why an important strategy in combatting Imposter Syndrome, is to create a space for people to talk about it. Once they understand that it is a common experience, it is normalized and sufferers can begin to support one another to develop strategies for overcoming it.

Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internal fear of being exposed as a “fraud”, despite external evidence of their competence.

Those experiencing this phenomenon struggle to shake the belief that they do not deserve all they have achieved and incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or even worse, believe that their success has come about as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more capable or intelligent than they actually are.

The leadership landscape has shifted. Leaders are being called upon to offer more support and guidance than ever before as employees learn to adapt to the constantly changing environment of the post-Covid world.

Working from home has been anything BUT the panacea for stress that many had hoped. With trying to balance home and work responsibilities in a new and unexpected way, it’s becoming hard to remember a time before we started being ‘busy’ all the time.

Those of us living through the Covid-19 pandemic are witnessing the most profound global changes since the Second World War. In a matter of weeks, we have been ushered in a new way of working and relating both on an individual, organizational and societal level.

In my executive coaching practice where I work with transitioning leaders, networking is often the differentiator between those who succeed and those who get stuck. Given that each leadership transition is characterized by increasing levels of complexity and higher performance expectations, creating a network of rich personal contacts provides support, feedback, insight and resources which are invaluable for every emerging leader.

“I hate networking!” is a common statement from many leaders I coach. For many of them, particularly those who identify as introverts, networking makes them feel insincere, uncomfortable and even “dirty”. They will often tell me about the rare extrovert they know, who has a passion for networking and either envy them or more commonly, judge them for being exploitative and inauthentic.