The modern girl’s guide to dealing with imposter syndrome as a project manager

Imposter syndrome as a project manager doesn’t creep in so much as rudely splash you like a car driving through a puddle, just before you need to channel your highest confident self before that presentation to that one stakeholder who thinks that a group of adults not doing their job on time is solely your fault (the joys of being a project manager – minimal credit but all the responsibility).

The unspoken truth is that every time you hear that whiny little voice telling you that you’re not good enough, it’s not your intuition – it’s conditioning. Women are trying to thrive in a workplace that wasn’t designed for us, often taking on the responsibility of making sure we don’t live in a pig sty and, of course, the effort that goes into looking this good, lest Dan from account ask you if you didn’t get much sleep last night.

And this holds us back. It has us collecting qualifications like they’re the latest limited edition Labubus and shying away from showing up confidently at work. And that simply won’t do.

So let’s crush the imposter syndrome for good.

Summon your inner bad bitch

Yes, we all know Beyonce has an alter ego called Sasha Fierce to help her be her most, well, fierce, self on stage. Yawn.

But here’s the thing: it works.You don\t need to give your inner diva a name and personality (though you absolutely can if you want to), but taking a quick beat before meetings and other high pressure situations to think about how you want to show up for yourself genuinely makes a difference.

Create a Pinterest board full of images and words that represent your highest self; the person you are on your best days, and take a peek every time you’re feeling wobbly. You can event set it as your wallpaper to remind you who you are every time you check your phone.

Examine and acknowledge your feelings

Have you ever wondered why you have these feelings of self-doubt? Chances are it’s part conditioning (the way girls are encouraged to be quiet and polite is just one of many examples), part experience.

When you have a quiet moment, think about the actual thoughts and feelings you have when you have a confidence lapse. Can you pinpoint when you first felt this way, and your fears behind the feeling?

Understanding the underlying fears and what causes them actually goes a long way in kicking them to the curb.

Create your wins folder

A wins folder is a must-have for any modern project manager – lord knows we spend enough time fielding criticism.

It’s easy to create, simply create a folder on your phone or computer, name it “Wins” (or something more imaginative) and every time you receive positive feedback, or anything that reflects well on you at work, take a screenshot and add it to the folder.

When that imposter syndrome rears its unstylish head, check your folder to remind yourself that whatever it’s telling you isn’t true.

Focus on other people

In reality, no one is as focused on us as we are. And being self-absorbed simply isn’t chic.

They say that the most confident people are focused outward instead of inward, meaning they’re more interested in the world around them than whether Sophie from Finance is judging their choice of footwear.

So turn that inner focus outwards and witness how much less you worry.

Remember that actual imposters don’t get imposter syndrome

The irony of imposter syndrome is that the people suffering from it are usually the people who work hard, want to do a brilliant job and are truly dedicated to what they do.

You feel imposter syndrome because your career is important to you and you don’t want to mess it up – and that’s exactly why you are the real deal.