Handling Imposter Syndrome in Digital Leadership

The silent doubt which strong leaders rarely talk about and to solve it with a simple framework.

May 06, 2025

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You join a call, explain your plan, answer a few questions, and lead the conversation with confidence. People nod. Someone sends a message saying, “Great job.” You smile. You thank them. You keep going.

But later, when the noise settles, a small thought shows up.

“What if I got lucky this time?”
“What if they think I know more than I actually do?”
“What if I’m just pretending to lead while trying not to mess things up?”

That is impostor syndrome.

And if you are leading in digital environments, you have probably felt it more than once.

Not because you are weak, but because the way we work in tech makes this feeling stronger.

A study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science showed that around 70 percent of people experience impostor feelings at some point in their lives.

It is more common than people think, especially in roles where you are expected to lead through change, make decisions quickly, and stay updated in areas that are always shifting.

Most leaders do not talk about it. That is what makes it harder. The feeling grows in silence. And when no one says it out loud, it feels like you are the only one.

So let’s talk about it now. No noise. No fake confidence.

Just a clear and honest look at what impostor syndrome is, why it shows up in digital leadership, and how to work with it while still leading with clarity and presence.

Next, we are going to slow down and look at why digital leadership doesn’t just expose impostor syndrome, but often makes it feel even worse.

And of course, respecting your time for this reading, I want to give you a Framework that can support you with that issue.

Why the digital landscape makes impostor syndrome worse

In traditional roles, people often work with clear playbooks. You learn a task, repeat it, improve it, and move up.

But when you lead in digital work, the playbook is usually missing. Or outdated. Or changing every quarter. And that creates pressure.

Because you are asked to make decisions in areas where no one really has all the answers.

You feel it when your team looks at you to guide a conversation about a new platform you are still learning yourself.

You feel it when leadership wants a vision for something that is not fully defined yet.

You feel it when you are leading across time zones and cultures and tools, with fewer signals to tell you how things are really going.

And because digital leadership often happens behind screens, you get less feedback. Less small talk. Fewer hallway check-ins where someone says, “Hey, that update was really helpful.”

So your brain fills in the silence with doubt.

Then there is the pressure to keep up.

Everyone in tech is reading, experimenting, building, and testing.

You see posts about product launches, agile transformations, and AI integration, all moving fast.

And even if you are doing good work, there’s a quiet comparison in the air.

You start measuring your real day, filled with blockers, messy conversations, budget questions, and slow progress, against someone else’s filtered update.

It’s not a fair comparison. But it happens quietly. And it adds to the feeling that maybe, deep down, you’re the only one who is still figuring it out while others already "got it."

The truth is, many of them feel the same way.

But because no one says it first, everyone walks around thinking they are the only one carrying this weight.

Because if you are leading right now, and still sometimes feel unsure, this doesn’t mean you are failing.

It might mean you are right where you are supposed to be. Stretching. Learning. Doing work that matters. And growing through it, even if it’s uncomfortable.

What impostor syndrome really is (and what it is not)

Impostor syndrome is not about being unqualified.

It is not about failing.

And it is not about lying to others.

It’s about the story you tell yourself after you succeed.

You finish a project, and instead of feeling proud, you feel relieved.

You get good feedback, and your first thought is, “They’re just being nice.”

You land a new opportunity, and immediately wonder if they hired the wrong person.

This is the pattern. Your brain looks at your real experience, then quietly tells you a different story.

One that says your success was luck, timing, or someone else’s help. One that says you have not earned your spot, and one mistake will expose you.

It’s not just negative thinking. It’s a kind of disconnection. A gap between how others see you and how you see yourself.

And let me be clear: feeling like an impostor doesn’t mean you are one. It just means your internal sense of worth is not matching your external results yet. And that happens more often when your work changes fast, when the stakes are high, or when you’re surrounded by smart people doing great work.

But here’s the thing.

The feeling is real, but the story behind it isn’t true.

And you don’t need to wait for the feeling to disappear before you keep leading.

You can feel unsure and still make a good decision.

You can feel uncomfortable and still guide your team well.

You can feel the weight of responsibility and still move forward with care and courage.

This is where many leaders get stuck. They wait to feel ready.

They think, “Once I feel more confident, I’ll speak up more. I’ll lead more clearly. I’ll show up fully.”

But the confidence does not always come first.

It comes after you show up. After you speak up. After you lead anyway.

A framework to handle impostor feelings in real leadership moments

Let’s be honest. Impostor syndrome doesn’t show up during quiet moments of reflection. It shows up in the middle of work.

You are in a call, someone asks a question, and your mind suddenly goes blank.

You are preparing a presentation and wondering if you have anything new to say.

You are promoted into a role and spend your evenings second-guessing every decision you made that day.

So let’s build a framework you can use when that happens.

Not something theoretical, but something that actually helps when the feeling is in the room with you.

Step 1: Name it when it shows up

You cannot shift what you are not noticing.

Impostor thoughts move quickly. They blend in with your regular thoughts, making them harder to catch. That’s why the first step is always to name it.

For example, say to yourself, “This is that impostor voice again,” or “I am having a moment of doubt, not a moment of failure.”

This small move breaks the loop. It puts you in the position of the observer instead of the passenger. And that already gives you more control than before.

It also helps to write it down. Just one line. "Felt like I didn’t deserve to be in that meeting." "Felt like others knew more than me." The act of writing slows the spiral.

Step 2: Separate facts from feelings

The mind can be loud when you are tired, stressed, or in unfamiliar territory. And it is easy to treat your internal story as the full truth.

This step is about pausing and asking: What are the actual facts?

For example:

Did you really mess up the presentation?
Or did you just stumble on one slide?

Did the team seem confused?
Or are you assuming that based on one person’s silence?

Are you really not qualified?
Or are you just comparing yourself to someone with a different background?

This is not about ignoring your feelings. They are real.

But so are the facts. And putting both on the table helps you see more clearly.

Step 3: Use a simple reframe

You don’t need to convince yourself that you are amazing.

You just need a more balanced sentence.

Try one of these:

"I am still learning, and that’s normal."
"I don’t need to know everything to be helpful today."
"My experience is different, not less."
"Feeling like an impostor doesn’t mean I am one."

These kinds of sentences are not meant to be magical. But they bring you back to center. They help soften the extremes.

And when you say them enough, your brain starts to believe them more than the fear-based stories.

Step 4: Share what you're feeling with someone safe

This is a big one. Impostor syndrome loves silence. It grows in isolation.

The moment you say it out loud, even casually, something shifts.

You might say, “I had this weird moment where I thought I was the only one who didn’t understand that part.” Or, “Do you ever get the feeling you’re still figuring it out as you go?”

More often than not, the other person will say, “Yes. All the time.”

Suddenly, it’s not just your problem. It’s something we’re all learning to manage, together. And even if the feeling doesn’t disappear, it gets smaller.

Step 5: Lead anyway

This is the most powerful step.

Impostor syndrome tells you to wait.

It says, “You’ll feel better soon. Just hold off a little longer.”

But the waiting doesn’t help.

It only delays the work and the confidence that comes from doing it.

So instead, try leading with the feeling still there.

Facilitate the meeting. Share the idea. Make the decision. Ask the question. Support your team. Communicate the goal.

Do it, even with the voice in the background.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to stay in motion, with care and presence.

Over time, the voice quiets.

Not because it gave up.

But because you stopped listening so closely.

Confidence grows from action. Even a small action.

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Five mistakes that make impostor syndrome worse (and how to avoid them)

The feeling of being an impostor is already uncomfortable.

But some habits quietly make it worse, even when you think you are doing the right thing.

Let’s walk through five common mistakes, why they make things heavier, and how to shift them.

1. Waiting for confidence before you act

This one is sneaky. You think, “As soon as I feel ready, I’ll speak up.” But confidence rarely comes first. It usually follows action. Waiting too long often makes the fear grow instead of fade.

Try this instead: Take a small step while feeling unsure. Say one sentence in the meeting. Share one idea. Support one teammate. The confidence grows with doing.

2. Thinking you are the only one who feels this way

This is what impostor syndrome wants you to believe. That you are the only one who doesn’t have it all together. But that’s not true. Many people feel it. They just don’t talk about it.

Try this instead: Assume others are working through it too. And when it feels right, name it gently with someone you trust. “I had a moment where I didn’t feel ready.” That alone builds a connection.

3. Ignoring your wins

It’s easy to rush from one task to the next without pausing. But when you don’t stop to acknowledge what went well, your brain forgets to register progress. That leaves space only for the doubts.

Try this instead: Once a week, write down three small things you did that helped someone, solved a problem, or moved something forward. You are building a real case against your inner critic.

4. Comparing your inside to everyone else’s outside

This happens a lot in digital teams. You see someone’s polished update or smooth presentation and think, “They have it all figured out.” What you don’t see is their stress, their doubt, or their rough draft.

Try this instead: Focus on your own growth, not someone else’s highlight reel. Comparison distracts from what you’re actually learning and building.

5. Overworking to “prove” yourself

Sometimes, we try to outrun the feeling by doing more. Working longer hours. Saying yes to everything. Taking on more than we should. It feels productive, but it often leads to burnout, not confidence.

Try this instead: Remind yourself that you were hired to lead, not to exhaust yourself. Respecting your energy is also a signal of leadership. Show others that self-respect matters too.

Closing thoughts for digital leaders feeling the weight

If you are leading in tech, digital, or product environments, there’s a good chance you will feel this again.

Maybe not tomorrow.

Maybe not next month.

But the next time you step into something new, or take on more responsibility, or stretch into unfamiliar work, the voice might come back.

Let it come. But don’t let it decide who you are.

You are allowed to feel uncertain and still lead well.
You are allowed to question yourself and still support others.
You are allowed to grow in public and figure things out in motion.

Impostor syndrome doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

It means you are in motion.
You are expanding. You are doing real work that challenges you.

And that is not a sign of weakness. That is a sign of leadership.

I would love to hear if this connected with you.

Have you felt this recently?
What helped you?
What’s still hard?

You can reply to this post, leave a comment, or send a message if that feels better.

This is a space for real leaders doing real work. You don’t have to fake it here.

Let’s keep building, learning, and leading… One honest conversation at a time.

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