Are your wins - big or small - just blips on your leadership radar? If so, it’s no wonder that there are moments where stakes are high and you doubt yourself.
This is a game-changer but in my experience rarely understood by high-performing leaders. They’ve done the work, had the wins, ticked the box and continued on, BAU. In part, this is what makes them so valued. They get results. They have tremendous work ethic.
The problem with not stopping to internalise the win is that when you need to step up you can find yourself second-guessing and diminishing yourself. Why? You haven’t integrated what you’ve accomplished into your leadership identity. This has been found to be the major contributor to the imposter syndrome.
This can happen by down-playing and dismissing your results with statements like… ‘well, that’s my job’. Yes, it is your job, but no one else made it happen in the way you did and with the significant behind closed doors efforts that no one else will have seen.
This is where I’ve found an executive’s identity has not caught up to their capacity and capability. They find themselves in a struggle with confidence. Sometimes, all that’s needed is to restore self-efficacy with a career archeological dig that reveals numerous gems of hard-won merit.
Former Navy SEAL, David Goggins, has a similar approach he calls the "Cookie Jar”. It involves reaching into a metaphorical jar in your mind to recall past victories, hardships and obstacles you've overcome to fuel yourself when you want to quit.
My clients will have heard me invite them with the principle “celebrate to integrate”. I encourage a deliberate act after every success so that it fortifies their identity which in turns elevates their executive presence (when they need it most).
This celebration must be something you wouldn’t ordinarily do but when done will mark the win. It can be as simple as a cappuccino by a beachside cafe or buying yourself a monographed pen. It can be a night out with your partner or best friend to share the victory. It can be a simple journal entry.
What can you do this week to internalise a recent leadership win?
If imposter syndrome patterns are affecting your leadership, book a Leadership Clarity Call and we’ll work through it together.