It’s a common belief among high achievers that they are not as smart, talented, or capable as people think they are--something they see themselves as managing to hide from others. It’s been identified in popular psychology as the “Imposter Syndrome.”
When I was newly-promoted to Senior Vice President at Charles Schwab, Dan Limon, then our EVP of Corporate Strategy, gave us the secret handshake speech and addressed the newly-anointed in an interesting way.
He asked, “How many of you feel like imposters—meaning, if they knew you, they’d realize you were a fraud?” Almost everyone raised his or her hand, which I found quite a shock.
It’s a juxtaposition of your beliefs versus reality: you’re actually DOING so well, yet in the head/heart, you’re counting the days before “they find out, and the gig is up.”
So if you or someone you know can identify with this, then I have two messages for you:
1. You’re in GREAT company – many high-achievers feel this way.
2. It’s probably a gremlin, and not reality. Chances are that you are where you are because you’re capable and motivated, and NOT because you’ve somehow pulled the wool over people’s eyes…
David Peck
Senior Executive Coach
Goodstone Group
