I recently met with Alison Shamir, an imposter syndrome expert and as we were speaking, she said something that resonated so deeply with me that it’s become a go to for me.

And it’s this:

You don’t have imposter syndrome; you’re having an imposter moment.

If you’re a woman in leadership you’ve likely heard of Imposter Syndrome already. Just in case, Imposter Syndrome is a pervasive feeling of self-doubt and insecurity, where individuals, despite their achievements, feel like frauds and fear being exposed as inadequate. It’s characterised by chronic self-doubt and a persistent belief that one’s success is due to luck rather than ability, often leading to anxiety and a lack of self-confidence.

In contrast, an imposter moment is a brief, situational experience where one might momentarily feel out of their depth but remains confident in their ability to learn and grow. This moment of doubt is quickly followed by a proactive approach to mastering new skills or knowledge, reflecting a healthy acknowledgment of being human and learning something new, rather than a fixed state of feeling like an imposter. While imposter syndrome can be debilitating and long-lasting, an imposter moment is transient and can even be a catalyst for personal growth and development.

It brought home to me how easy it is for executive women to decide we have Imposter Syndrome or we’re suffering from a lack of confidence when really, we’re just stepping out of our comfort zones and doing something new and challenging.

And you know what stepping out of our comfort zones indicates? It indicates that we have the confidence to back ourselves. To try something new and challenging and step into something with a smile and the words “How hard could it be?” ringing in our ears.

Now don’t get me wrong, Imposter Syndrome is a real thing and if you think it’s holding you back, I cannot recommend a conversation with Alison enough. However, if you’re just feeling challenged in the new work and life adventures you’re taking on, here’s my 5 top tips to help you move past your imposter moment.

1.  Zoom out and recognise it for what it is

Take the time to pause when that feeling of insecurity comes up for you and zoom out in the moment to understand what’s causing the insecurity. It might be that you’re doing something for the first time, or the last time you did something similar it didn’t go as well as you’d like. Or it might be simple catastrophising (don’t worry we all do it sometimes).

Starting by recognising what’s happening will help you understand how to address the feelings and challenge the negativity you’re experiencing with a dose of reality.

2.  Give yourself a little dose of reality and a big dose of self-compassion

So, you’ve recognised you’re not feeling as confident as you’d like. Now you need to take a moment to address it. Try using these questions:

• • • How many times have you been successful doing something similar in the past?
    • What have I learnt since the last time I did something similar?
    • Consider the A to E of how it might turn out with A being the best case down to E the worst case. How likely is the E-case scenario vs the A, B or C-case scenario?
    • What would I say to a friend in the same situation?

Self-compassion goes hand in hand with success and confidence. You need to be kind to yourself and realistic in your expectations. Remember, people like real, no one wants to work with “perfect” because perfect doesn’t exist.

3.  Consider your Preparation

Take a moment to consider the great work you have done to get here. If there’s anything more you should have or could have done to prepare for what you’re embarking on, is that going to be the difference between success and failure or is it just a form of procrastination. Be realistic here, sometimes you need to build as you go, this about the fundamentals you need in place to begin.

It is broadly accepted that 70% of learning is done ‘on the job’ so if you’re taking on something new, you’re only going to get so far without doing it. If you need to delay and allow yourself to take an extra step, make it time bound so it doesn’t result in missing out on an opportunity that should have been yours.

4.  Remind yourself why you’re doing this

Link back to why you’re doing the hard thing in the first place and how you’re going to feel once you achieve this. Visualise what success is going to look like and lean into the feelings that this evokes for you. Really feel success in your body and enjoy the sensations and accomplishment that comes with that.

5.  Take the leap and embrace the adventure

Do the thing.  You are going to learn, you’re going to experience, you’re going to have moments of joy and maybe some moments of despair. These are all part of being human. In 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months, 5 years what are you going to regret more? Trying and failing or never trying at all?

Always remember the words of Susan David PhD