Dear Reader
I heard something the other day that caught my attention.
“You should embrace imposter syndrome.”
My immediate reaction was that it felt slightly off.
Like many people, I have experienced imposter syndrome at different points in my career. Even after many years in leadership roles, there have been moments where I have wondered whether I truly deserved to be in the room. Moments where praise felt surprising. Moments where I looked at what had gone well and thought, was that really me?
It is a feeling that many people carry quietly.
But after thinking about the comment more carefully, I realised that what we often call imposter syndrome may actually be something else.
Often it is simply the feeling that comes when we are operating beyond our comfort zone.
Trying something we have not done before.
Taking on responsibilities we have not held previously.
Stepping into roles where we are still learning.
In those moments we do not feel like experts. We feel uncertain. We feel exposed.
And we label that feeling imposter syndrome.
But in many cases it is actually a signal that we are growing.
Over the past year, building Volante, I have found myself leaning into this more consciously. Starting something new has meant doing many things for the first time again. Running new formats of sessions. Testing ideas. Speaking about work in ways I had not before.
I have had to remind myself of two simple principles that have helped me move forward even when I did not feel entirely ready.
The first is to try things before feeling fully prepared, but then deliberately build in time afterwards to reflect.
What worked well?
What could be improved?
Did I enjoy it?
Would I want to do it again?
Reflection is what turns experience into learning.
The second principle came from my coach.
“Better done than perfect.”
Perfection can easily become a barrier to progress. Many things improve through iteration rather than waiting until everything feels ready.
This dynamic shows up particularly strongly when speaking with women leaders.
Many highly capable women wait until they feel completely ready before putting themselves forward for promotions, new roles, or stretch opportunities. They want to feel 100% confident they can do the job well before stepping forward.
But leadership rarely works that way.
Growth usually requires stepping into something before we feel fully ready.
So perhaps the question is not whether we should embrace the term imposter syndrome.
Maybe we should rethink it.
One phrase that has stayed with me from an earlier employer in the private sector is:
“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
At the time, I did not fully understand what it meant.
Now it makes more sense.
The moments that feel uncomfortable are often the moments where we are learning the most.
They are the moments where we are expanding our capability, testing new ground, and discovering that we can handle more than we thought.
Perhaps what we sometimes label as imposter syndrome is simply the feeling of growth in motion.
👉 I would be interested in your perspective. Have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career, and did it ever turn out to be a sign that you were stretching into something new?
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
