Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Michelle carries her homework from Jim’s program everywhere she goes. It’s three years old but scribbled on the piece of paper that she has read over and over again is a paragraph listing her strengths.
In many ways, this note is a symbol of a turning point in her life—both personally and professionally. When she needs a boost, she reads her words: “I’m a fixer. I can execute my vision.”
When she met Jim, Michelle was showing up at her job and struggling with the very thing that has become commonplace in headlines of women’s media recently: imposter syndrome (the feeling that you’re a fake). As she puts it, Jim has a passion for seeing women be successful in large organizations. He’s someone who just gets it. He understands that where a man can be seen as firm, a woman who says the same thing might seem aggressive. To that point, he understood why Michelle so often withdrew.
Imposter syndrome is a big enough issue that, according to The Guardian, two thirds—or 66%—of women experience it daily. Michelle was one. To add to that, a difficult personal time had Michelle barely performing at work. Her company undervalued her. Her boss wasn’t seeing her strengths. Instead of bringing her best self to the table, she retreated.
Most people don’t fit into a cookie-cutter prototype. That’s not a bad thing.
During this time, Jim gave Michelle the positive reinforcement that she needed to boost her confidence and in turn, make necessary changes. Her coaching calls started with “Remember Michelle, you’re good at x, y, z.” When they were done, she remembers telling herself: “Yeah, I’ve got this.”
Michelle began to make decisions in her personal life which translated to the professional. She began to sit up straighter. She started showing up differently at work. Instead of withdrawing when she disagreed, she gained the confidence to articulate why.
Most people don’t fit into a cookie-cutter prototype. That’s not a bad thing. By doing exercises that mirrored her strong points, she was able to restructure her role to bring out those strengths. Her boss noticed, her colleagues started seeing her differently and Michelle stopped withdrawing.
Jim had the uncanny ability to listen with empathy and articulate Michelle’s thoughts back to her. That style reshaped Michelle into a confident woman who understands that there is always a place for her personality and her strengths—both personally and professionally.
*All names have been changed to protect the privacy of clients.
Article by Sinead Mulhern
Jim Beqaj
I’m the founder of an international recruitment agency and I’ve worked on Toronto’s Bay Street for years, but most importantly, I’m a career performance coach. I make people better.
I’ve written a book called True Fit, and my podcast Be You, The World Will Adjust releases every Monday.