Episode
What if Imposter Syndrome is Your Friend?
- Podcast
- The Buoyant Leader
- Published
- Apr 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 449
- Processing state
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- https://howiejacobson.india-explore.in/captivate-podcast/what-if-imposter-syndrome-is-your-friend
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Summary
Pretty much every leadership article about imposter syndrome says the same thing: dispute it, push through it, power-pose your way past it. Cut a mantra-groove in your brain: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it people like me.” The assumption, of course, is that imposter syndrome is a terrible thing to have. Sometimes it is. And sometimes kicking it in the ‘nads is the right strategy. But not always. So here’s a couple of serious questions for those other times: What if that voice isn't self-sabotaging or pathological? What if it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do? The Guardrail You're Trying to Dismantle If someone asked me to perform surgery tomorrow, I'd say no. I’m not a surgeon, I hate the sight of blood, I never won at “Operation” as a kid. Get someone else. Is that imposter syndrome? Or just a healthy relationship with reality? And yet we've lumped together those two very different situations under the same label. There's the self-doubt that keeps you from doing things you're perfectly capable of. And there's the healthy caution that says, "Hey, this matters. People are counting on you. Pay attention." That second voice? I'd call it a guardrail, not a syndrome. (Especially if I’m the one on the operating table.) When leaders step into new roles — a bigger team, a higher-stakes environment, a seat at a table they've never sat at before — they often feel a version of this. The voice that says you shouldn't be here; other people are so much better at this; wait until they find out that you’re a fraud. The conventional advice is to silence that voice. I think that's a mistake. Three Ways to Work With the Voice Instead of Against It 1. Thank it, then move anyway. The voice is trying to protect you. It's reminding you that there are real stakes an…