High Achievers' Hidden Fears and The Truth About Imposter Syndrome

You know those TED speakers, CEOs, and industry leaders you admire? The ones who seem effortlessly confident? Here’s a secret I’m going to share with you… 

80% of people experience Imposter Syndrome at some point (including them).

I’d be out of a job if Imposter Syndrome didn’t exist. More than half of my clients are wonderful high-achievers who, despite their success, still feel like they’re ‘winging it’, or ‘don’t deserve’ their success.

What Imposter Syndrome Is (And What It Isn’t)

It IS:
✔️ A persistent fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’, despite achievements.
✔️ Feeling like your success is down to luck or other people’s help.
✔️ Setting impossibly high standards and feeling like a failure when you don’t meet them.

It ISN’T:
❌ A sign of incompetence, let me tell you, if you were truly unqualified, you wouldn’t be in the room.
❌ A mental illness, it’s a common (and manageable) mindset challenge.
❌ Exclusive to women, though societal pressures do make it more common in certain groups.

How to Deal With Imposter Syndrome

When my clients tell me they feel like a fraud, I say, Let’s go to court.

Make a case against yourself. Write down every reason why you supposedly ‘aren’t good enough’ What do we usually find? That the evidence doesn’t hold up. The ‘proof’ is internal self-doubt, not reality. And if there are areas for improvement? That’s where coaching helps.

The truth is, you don’t need to eliminate Imposter Syndrome, you need to stop letting it drive. Recognise it, call it out, and put it in the backseat where it belongs.

And that is sometimes easier said than done, which is why I’m here. If you need help with that, let’s chat - Book a Call.