Whether you’re an early-stage leader or an established high-achiever, if you’re feeling stressed and burned out, you may be doing more harm than good. In fact, your imposter could be derailing your leadership. Here’s how to recognize the sign and stop it.
High-achievers
Often times, the imposter in high-achievers can derail your leadership. This is because the imposter believes you are not as good as you seem.
Impostor Syndrome is a mental health problem that affects nearly 70% of the population around the world. This means that it can impact your self-esteem, career, and relationships.
When you are experiencing the symptoms of imposter syndrome, you can be anxious and stressed. Ultimately, you can lose motivation and be dissatisfied with your life. This can lead to a slowdown in your career or burnout.
In order to overcome imposter syndrome, you need to be objective. This means that you need to evaluate yourself without giving any credit to the outside factors that you believe contributed to your success.
Aside from being objective, you also need to have the confidence to be the leader you are meant to be. You need to know that your abilities are valid, and that you deserve to be successful.
Another key aspect of overcoming imposter syndrome is to have a community of support. Having friends, family, and other leaders in your life can help you to see the bigger picture.
When you are experiencing imposter syndrome, you will be tempted to try to please everyone. This is not a healthy way to lead. This is because constant approval seeking can drain your psyche.
The best way to overcome imposter syndrome is to stop giving credit to the outside factors that are contributing to your success. You need to give yourself credit for the accomplishments that you have made.
If you have achieved success, then you should be proud of it. But, do not forget to recognize the progress you have made, and focus on your future goals.
When you are feeling as if you are not as competent as you seem, it is important to seek out a mentor. A mentor can help you to find out what you are doing wrong, and point out the reasons for your mistakes.
You may have had a hard time dealing with imposter syndrome when you were younger, but you have the skills to succeed. You just need to take charge of your abilities and be the best leader you can be.
Early-stage leaders
Having an Imposter in your early-stage leadership team is a serious disadvantage. The consequences can be both tangible and psychological. The cost of derailment can range from a few thousand dollars to millions.
The good news is that you can take steps to avoid becoming an Imposter. The best way to do this is to take advantage of leadership coaching. A qualified coach can help you recognize your shortcomings and find a solution. A coach can also teach you how to get the most out of your strengths.
There are a number of signs that you’re on the way to becoming an imposter. For example, a lot of leaders get in their own way. They may lack the confidence to give feedback to others. In addition, some leaders have narrow playbooks. These leaders are often unaware of the larger trends in their industry.
The biggest roadblock to a leadership career is a lack of self-confidence. There are some leaders who are great at making hard calls, but lack the confidence to do so. A coach can help you overcome this.
The best way to avoid becoming an imposter is to be honest with yourself and others. A coach can also teach you how to be more likable. You may be the smartest person in your department, but if you don’t communicate with your peers, you can’t expect to get the full value out of your talents.
A leader should also make sure that they’re putting the most effort into the things that are important. In the process of trying to please everyone, you’re missing out on the opportunity to make a difference. The bottom line is that the best leaders are those who have the most self-awareness. If you’re a leader in a high-pressure environment, you’re not likely to do much.
There’s also the imposter, which is a little more complicated. The most effective way to deal with an imposter is to surround yourself with talented people. This includes your peers, employees, and even customers. Your success is directly correlated to the success of the people you lead.
Derailing behaviors
Managing your imposter syndrome may not be the easiest of tasks. Nevertheless, you can minimize the damage with proper planning and a bit of sleuthing. There are several steps to take, from talent assessments to succession planning.
The most important is to establish the correct mindset. This may be achieved through a series of self-reflection sessions. The resulting knowledge and confidence may yield respect from your team members. Alternatively, you can merely delegate to the best of the lot. Having a good handle on your personal shortcomings may also obviate the need for formal remediation.
The next most important step is to establish a framework to help you identify the offending behaviors. Using a tool such as the Hogan Development Survey (HDS) is a smart move. You may also need to take a look at your organizational charts to find where your weakest links lie. Fortunately, your organization should be capable of providing a supportive environment for fostering good leadership.
In the end, having a clear understanding of your own weaknesses is the most effective way to reduce your risk. Having a formal plan in place, such as a succession plan, is a good start. You should also make sure that you get enough sleep to function properly. A lack of sleep can be a precursor to poor decision making and performance.
The most successful leaders are those who can identify their blind spots and take action. The most common pitfalls include a lack of clear communication, lack of commitment, and a reluctance to take charge. Fortunately, these are all preventable. Taking the time to understand your strengths and weaknesses is the first step to a healthy and happy working relationship. You can also use a tool such as the HMS to improve upon your shortcomings. A well-trained HCM will be able to show you the right moves to make and teach you the wrong ones to avoid.
Taking the time to implement the right strategies may save you from having to make a tough decision down the road. The best part is that you can also reap the benefits of increased employee engagement and productivity.
Stress and burnout
Whether you’re a manager or a team leader, you should be able to identify signs of burnout. When your employees are stressed and exhausted, they are not able to work effectively and are at a higher risk for engaging in unhealthy behaviors.
Burnout is a form of chronic stress that causes the body to release hormones and affects your memory and mood. If you’re experiencing the symptoms of burnout, it’s important to discuss your concerns with a doctor. He or she can help you find the support you need to get back on track.
Burnout is a condition that can be avoided if you take the time to look at your own behavior and your workplace. You may be suffering from unmanageable workloads, a lack of fairness or support from your workplace, or a lack of role clarity.
A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 44% of adult workers experienced some degree of burnout. APA researchers surveyed 1,501 U.S. employees in January of 2020.
The main causes of burnout are a lack of control, a lack of support, a lack of fairness, a lack of role clarity, and a mismatch of values and skills. Educators, first responders, and human services workers are also at a higher risk for burnout.
When a team member asks to take a leave of absence, it’s important to put together a re-entry plan. It’s also important to communicate early so you can avoid last-minute stress.
Having a clear vision of how to achieve the goals of the company is important. You need to make sure your employees understand the demands and have an opportunity to voice their concerns.
Getting enough sleep is another critical component of a healthy work-life balance. Not only does lack of sleep negatively affect your mood, but it can also make it difficult to concentrate. If you feel like you’re not sleeping well, talk to a doctor. He or she can determine the root of your problem and recommend a ramp-up or ramp-down plan.
Having a clear understanding of your own priorities and needs is important. You need to set realistic goals and establish criteria for saying yes or no to requests.