Impostor syndrome is something I’ve seen plague most women at one time or another, even the most confident ones.

I know this firsthand.

For me, mine creeps in when I’m asked to speak publicly. I’ve always gotten nervous public speaking so fear is part of it. But sometimes, I hear the voice in the back of my head asking, “Do you really know enough to speak on this topic or be on a panel with these other experts?”

Rationally, I know this doubt is silly. The person who asked me to speak already thinks I’m qualified – that’s why they want me there.

But impostor syndrome isn’t rational.

And sometimes we don’t even realize we have it.

Here are some indicators that impostor syndrome may be lurking inside of you:

  • You work hard, REALLY hard. You may think you have to work that hard, but I’m willing to bet you work so hard because of some insecurity – that you aren’t good enough, don’t know enough, or aren’t talented enough. ?
  • You don’t ask for the salary you deserve. Since no one has offered you more money, you must not be worth it right? WRONG. Most organizations and businesses aren’t going to proactively pay you more than they have to. It’s up to you to be confident enough to know your worth and ask for it. ?
  • You shy away from opportunities to stand out and increase your visibility. You tell yourself you aren’t qualified enough to do something that may be out of your comfort zone. Or you’re worried that you’ll be exposed as a fraud and everyone will realize you actually don’t know that much or aren’t that good at your job. But is that really true? ?
  • You feel weird accepting praise. When someone praises you, your instinct is to downplay your accomplishment, say you “got lucky,” or give the credit to your team or someone else. You don’t think you’re special or exceptionally talented; anyone who tells you otherwise must just be being nice. ?

It’s easy to see how impostor syndrome can you hold back and seriously limit your career opportunities.

It’s harder to learn how to squash it.

In my program, The Badass Professional Woman’s Code, we get to the root of the limiting beliefs that are holding you back from being the most confident, badass professional woman.

In my program, I show you how to silence your Inner Critic and tune in and listen to your Inner Mentor, helping you kill the impostor lurking inside of you. We work together to build your confidence and executive presence and implement strategies to help you get more visible.

The program starts this fall and enrollment is open now. 

To apply and book a free consultation with me, click here.

Lastly, I want to offer you a freebie so you can start to banish the impostor in you right away. Check out my Context Buster to break up the limiting beliefs and stories that are holding you back from being the most confident, badass version of you.

Originally published at www.mosaicgrowth.com

Author(s)

  • Elena Lipson

    Principal and Founder, Mosaic Growth Partners

    My 20 years of consulting and coaching experience has afforded me an inside look at how different organizations operate and what it takes to succeed. I spent the majority of my career as a healthcare strategy and change management consultant, serving federal, commercial and non-profit clients and mentoring emerging companies. I've had the privilege of working with hundreds of companies in the digital health and life sciences industry, supporting projects on consumer and patient engagement; telehealth; health and wellness; caregiving and independent living; and innovations in gene therapy, medical devices, rare disease drug development and AI-driven digital therapeutics and diagnostics. In 2015, I founded Mosaic Growth Partners, a consulting and coaching firm based in Washington, D.C., to help my clients develop new solutions for growth. I support clients in the digital health and life sciences industry with strategic and operational planning, commercializing new products and services, and workshop facilitation. I also coach professional women to take control of their careers and build professional lives that are congruent with their personal aspirations and natural talents. For professional women, I offer digital, group and 1:1 executive coaching programs. Prior to founding Mosaic Growth Partners, I led AARP Services' business development efforts in health and caregiving. At AARP, I was responsible for securing strategic partnerships, developing new business models and serving as an innovation champion. In this role, I built deep market knowledge and a strong industry network by working with hundreds of emerging and established companies. I also spent nearly 10 years as a management consultant, primarily with Deloitte Consulting, where I led strategy, human capital and technology engagements for federal health clients and the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. I also led sales and capture strategy, teaming, strategic business development and client excellence for the Department of Defense Military Health System account. I'm a Project Management Professional and a certified Agile Scrum Master. I graduated with a Master of Public Policy from American University and a B.A. in Political Science with High Honors from the University of Michigan.