Coaching the Imposter Syndrome
Posted on March 25, 2022 by Azmina Mulji, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Are you a woman leader feeling self-doubt, anxiety, stress, melancholy or anger that sabotage your career progression and success? Read on to know why
Imposter syndrome can be defined as a persistent feelings of inadequacy, insecurity or insignificance even where real success is experienced. The belief is that the success achieved is undeserved, has been achieved not because of competence and high skills but rather by luck and being in the right place at the right time. it is usually accompanied with lack of confidence and self-belief.
Many women leaders experience imposter syndrome and some of the consequences are quite far-reaching; inability to ask for help or support, feeling unprepared, unnecessary stress and worry on work output, thinking that your expertise is not necessary, avoiding feedback, rejecting new opportunities, overworking and burnout, downplaying your contributions and lack of motivation to complete projects.
In a 2020 KPMG study “Advancing the Future of Women in Business”, 77 percent of the executive women they surveyed across industries said they had experienced imposter syndrome in their careers and felt that the variance between what they expected from their life and/or career and the reality of it can triggered feelings of being an imposter.
It is thus not surprising that many of the women leaders that I have coached expressed similar feelings based on experiences especially at the workplace How then can one deal with this shadow in the dark?
Self-sabotaging behaviors can worsen the imposter syndrome. Self-doubt, anxiety, stress, worry, melancholy, anger and other negative thoughts sabotage career progression and success, weakening mental fitness.
I have successfully coached women leaders suffering from imposter syndrome. Partnering with them, we start by identifying and understanding their top saboteurs that keep them in the negative mindset of the imposter syndrome. Discovering how to intercept such thoughts, they are able to move into neutral stance involving changing their focus from the negative mind to the body using physical senses. Once in the neutral stance, using techniques such as empathy for self and others, exploration, navigation, innovation and activation gives them options of how to move into positive clear laser focused action that helps them come up with practical options for them to take for success, turning the event/challenge into a gift and opportunity, thus increasing levels of self-confidence and self-belief.
Clients are equipped with tools they can use everyday in their challenges. Feeling empathy and compassion using a childhood photo to see the essence of being which remains with us all through life. Exploring like a fascinated anthropologist to look for and find all factors related to the event or challenge enabling them to see the bigger picture in the situation. Navigating like a wise elder self, identifying what would be important in that event or challenge looking at it from ‘end of life’ perspective. Innovating using the Yes…… And ………….. technique for quantity idea generation. Activating doable ideas and moving ahead with clear headed focus.
Authored by Azmina Mulji a Certified Professional Career Coach with the International Coaching Federation with over 20 years Executive experience in the corporate space.
