Beating the Impostor Syndrome to become a sustainability leader
Have you ever experienced a deep feeling that your achievements are simply “fluke” and that, sooner or later, someone will realise, outing you as an “impostor”? If that is the case, you have, like me, been hit by a dose of Impostor Syndrome. Recently, I have been balancing the transition to apply what I’m learning during my Masters studies to become a sustainability leader, and I have found this hard. Seeing how other people in my course navigate the transition with grace and ease exacerbates those inner feelings of insecurity… but, is it really as easy as it seems for others who are also evolving into new careers?
Transitions can be complicated and messy; as I listen to my inner knowing guiding me towards an unknown path, the uncertainty can be scary. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” I hear me saying… “You’re too old” or, “are you sure you’re good enough?” or even “What is WRONG with you, why can’t you settle and be content?” Truth be told, for years, I have been hearing my inner voice telling me, very clearly, that there is “something more” I need to explore. So I followed this intuition to pursue a Masters of Studies (MSt) in Sustainability at Cambridge. “Cambridge, really, are you sure you can do this?”
This is the Impostor Syndrome kicking in. I have found comfort to read that there is plenty of research which shows I’m far from alone, and learning from what I have read and putting this into practice, here are the steps I have taken to calm this down:
✅ I have connected authentically (no BS) with peers who are going through similar processes. I have learned that they are also on this fascinating, messy, uncertain but so worthy path. I have been lucky in that I can now call some of this fellow MSt students my friends.
✅ I have tried to make it a habit to listen to my inner fear and understand it for what it is: a guard trying to protect me, and if I try and silence it, it will only get louder. I’ve listened to my concerns, put my thoughts down to number the things that could go wrong — and fear is rightly trying to protect me against these events! I’ve created a mitigating list, instead of allowing fear to take over, paralyse me and keeping me stuck.
✅ I have balanced the above-mentioned risks with the rewards of “what’s the best possible scenario that could await?” The answer, in short, is: Enacting the change I want to see!
✅ High standards vs perfect: I’ve stopped trying to aim for perfect. Instead, I’m taking a step forward every day, and take courage in reminding myself that aiming for perfect is the enemy of progress, as Salvador Dali wrote “Have no fear of perfection-you’ll never reach it.”
One big takeaway from this process has been to get used to feel fear. It is not an evil feeling, it is human to experience it; it is empowering to recognise it, and re-frame it as a good advisor, not to paralyse, but to empower a more informed, deliberate and exciting future.
Another liberating conclusion has been, as Anne-Laure from Ness Labs recommends in her article, to “see yourself as a work in progress. Learning and skill-building take time and are a trial-and-error process. Accept that growing as a person involves making mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably stagnating.”
Have you ever experienced the Impostor Syndrome? If so, how has it affected you, and what steps have you taken to overcome it? Would love to read your comments, too.
