The main barrier preventing many leaders from reaching their full potential isn’t missing the right skill set, nor is it a lack of experience or training.
What then is the biggest roadblock?
It’s a lack of self-confidence and its’ very close cousin, the infamous imposter syndrome. According to entrepreneur Connor Andrew Miller, the only way to overcome imposter syndrome is to stop thinking like an imposter.
Below are some of the key habits he advises people to follow in order to overcome setbacks and imposter syndrome;
Separate your feelings from facts
There are times you’ll feel less than capable. It happens to everyone from time to time. You must realize that it is okay to sometimes feel this way, but it does not mean that you are. Instead, ask yourself why you feel these things and if they are in fact indicative of your performance.
Drop the ‘fake it until you make it’ mentality
Fake it until you make it leads to nothing good. Connor Miller personally believes that it only leads to a false sense of self and depression.
“The whole point of faking it until you make it is at the end you actually have to make it,” he says. “ Most people that are adopting the fake it til you make it mentality aren’t putting in the actual work to make it. They think by fronting and putting on this facade that more opportunities will come to them because of how successful they appear to be. This is the worst possible advice anyone could ever give you. Authenticity is the real reflection of a person’s make up.”
Develop a new response and thought process around failure
Failure is an essential part of success. You should fail early, fail often, and fail forward. Failure is an opportunity to start again with more knowledge than you had when you previously attempted. Instead of beating yourself up for being human and blowing the big project, do what professional athletes do. Glean the learning value from the mistake and move on.
Develop a new script for how you approach new opportunities
“Become consciously aware of the conversation going on in your head when you’re in a situation that triggers your impostor feelings,” Connor Miller advises. “This is your internal script. Instead of thinking, “Wait till they find out I have no idea what I’m doing,” tell yourself “Everyone who starts something new feels off-base in the beginning. I may not know all the answers but I’m smart enough to find them out-”
Conclusion
The most practical thing we can do to overcome imposter syndrome and self-imposed limitations is to put the past behind us. Truly, you might have had negative experiences when taking on new challenges. However, most of us tend to make irrational comparisons between a bad experience in the past and a current situation. Painful memories don’t have to remain obstacles to change.
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