3 Ways To Overcome Self-Doubt
Have you ever had self-doubt, even though everyone around you thought you could do the job? Or have you ever felt you were in over your head, but there was no one to confide in because it was expected that you knew what you are doing? Surely you couldn’t tell anyone—because you’d lose respect.
Bob, a 50-year old president of a small manufacturing company has felt this way for years. Although he owns the company, he struggles with “what’s next” and how to grow the organization.
He certainly couldn’t share these fears with his employees. After all, they may doubt or question his leadership.
Feeling like he always needs to have the right answers, Bob can sometimes feel like an imposter, putting on a brave face, despite his underlying stress and anxiety.
After exhausting himself, Bob’s come to realize good leaders don’t always know the answers, but they seek to find them. It’s okay for him to say: “I don’t know, but how will we find out?”
Many business owners experience the same kind of fears as Bob. Self-doubt, or a sense of inadequacy, and even self-talk, are indicative of imposter syndrome. It’s a state of mind where, within a certain role or situation, we diminish our worth and start to question our qualifications and capacity to succeed.