When I joined frontline sales after a stint in
delivery and presales, I was doing good but I always had a nagging feeling at
the back of mind telling me ‘Oh my God, what are you doing here? You will get
found out soon for the fake that you are!’
And hear this, when I joined an MNC
directly from campus from my engineering college, there was this voice telling
me then ‘You are a mechanical engineer – how will you fit into IT? You are not
technically strong like your other counterparts from computer engineering or
even electrical engineering – you will get found out soon for the fake that you
are!’ Years later, after leading multiple delivery programs, after multiple
awards and recognition for my technical skills, there was still this voice
telling me ‘you will get found out soon for the fake that you are!’
Thereafter, I left my super successful delivery
career and ventured into business development and sales where I had no prior
experience. And I landed myself in the midst of some very dashing, smart,
handsome sales men, who could talk their pants off and sell anything. Now this
voice was stronger than ever ‘Where have you landed yourself – you donot know
anything about sales and you are not remotely as articulate as your other
counterparts. You are a woman – people donot listen to women in sales. You will
be found out soon for the fake that you are!’.
Years later, after a successful sales
career in multiple countries, across multiple cultures, being led by and
leading some really kick-ass sales generals, after countless CXO and other
senior level meetings, I realized that though I have never been exposed as a
fake yet, that voice inside me is still hopeful…
It was then that I stumbled upon a
startling fact that this voice has got a name – it is called the IMPOSTER
syndrome and it is very common among most people (especially the successful
ones), in high performance sales people, in high flying leaders, in women climbing fast up the corporate ladder, in entrepreneurs, in performers/athletes/artists going for world recognition and the list is endless.
So, how did this syndrome help or shackle me? It made me work harder to prove myself, to “cover” up essentially and for the most part I learned to ignore this voice.
But I also realized that at a few places it made me avoid taking big risks, made me keep my
head down and not be as bold as I might otherwise have been. Now I know this syndrome and I am comfortable with this being my friend - calling it out is the first step towards dealing with this affliction.
The incoming class in Stanford Business School
(after a tough admission process) was asked, who among them felt that they were there because the admissions committee made a mistake. Guess, how
many students raised their hands? Approx 75% of the students felt they were a
mistake and they would be found out soon.
“[I would] wake up in the morning before
going off to a shoot and, and think, I can’t do this; I’m a fraud” – Kate Winslet
“At any time I still expect that the
no-talent police will come and arrest me” – Mike Myers
“I have written eleven books, but each time
I think, ‘Uh-Oh, they’re going to find out now. I have run a game on everybody,
and they’re going to find me out’ ” – Award winning author Mary Angelou
Do you have this affliction as well? If
yes, how do you deal with it? How do you make it an ally to propel your career
or life in the direction that you want?
Very interesting....
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