'I felt like an imposter...'

'I felt like an imposter in my first 3 years of leadership,' a young leader shared with me recently. For some of us, that feeling doesn’t quite go away, even as we grow into more senior roles.

But this young leader's experience is the reason I’ve chosen to focus my work on emerging and next-gen leaders. They are often the ones who need the most support, yet receive the least of it. In many organisations, the assumption is that new leaders need mentors to guide and advise them. While that has its place, what is often missing is space for them to pause, to reflect and to make sense of who they are becoming as leaders, not just what they are doing as leaders.

This particular leader was deeply afraid of failing. She found herself focusing on the 'what' and the 'how', and trying to do the job well. But beneath that was a question she had not quite found the answer to:

'Why me?'

So, she tried her best to lead, but continued to feel like an imposter, especially when she didn't have all the answers she thought she needed to have. She also began to lose her sense of identity and confidence.

In my own leadership journey, I’ve learned that confidence in leadership is less about having all the answers, and more about having clarity - of my purpose, my values and who I am as a leader.

Without clarity, it isn’t leadership; it’s performance. With clarity, we are better able to show up with consistency, make decisions with intention, and lead in a way that others can trust.

If this resonates with you, here are a few questions to sit with:

Why do I lead?

Who am I as a leader?

How do I show up as a leader?

Which of these do you need greater clarity on?