Impostor feelings can haunt anyone in a leadership role or when working closely with a team. People who peak in positions where expectations are high may fear that they are fooling others or themselves, doubting their own worth to hold the role. This sense of not being enough can drive a pattern of overaccommodation and a tolerance for disrespect. A specialist in psychology and coaching shared practical steps for handling these compulsions, emphasizing a simple first move: verify the truth of one’s situation.
The core idea is to anchor beliefs in reality. Take stock of who you are and what you do. A truthful self-assessment might read like this: clear knowledge of one’s tasks, formal qualifications, and awareness of the consequences that follow from one’s choices. Consider how a supervisor, a direct report, or colleagues interact with you, and what kind of feedback circulates about your work. These reflections help paint a factual picture of competence, rather than a fog of insecurity. [Attribution: Gladysheva]
With the truth in view, it becomes easier to regulate behavior and resist the urge to please others at the expense of one’s own boundaries. Yet managing impostor concerns often proves challenging to do in isolation. Professional support from a trained psychologist or coach can offer structure, perspective, and tools that help restore confidence and establish sustainable habits at work.
Another voice in the field, a former occupational psychologist, emphasizes the importance of setting clear personal boundaries within the workplace. Creating these boundaries helps protect attention, time, and energy for tasks that align with one’s role, while reducing the likelihood of being drawn into inappropriate demands or needless self-doubt. [Attribution: Keretsman]