Imposter Syndrome: Why High Achievers Feel Like Frauds (And What To Do About It)

Here's something I've never heard a junior employee say: "I don't deserve this job."

But I've heard it countless times from CEOs, directors, and senior leaders. People running multimillion-pound operations. People with 20 years of experience. People who are genuinely excellent at what they do.

They call it imposter syndrome – that nagging feeling that you're not actually qualified, that you've somehow fooled everyone into thinking you're competent, and that one day you'll be exposed as a fraud.

And here's the thing: if you're feeling it, you're probably not an imposter. The people most likely to feel like frauds are the ones who actually care deeply about doing good work.

Let me explain why, and more importantly, what to do about it.

The Imposter Syndrome Paradox

Imposter syndrome is weirdly common among high achievers. Researchers have found that people with genuine competence and accomplishment are MORE likely to experience it than people who are actually underqualified.

Why? Because competent people know how much they don't know.

A junior analyst might think "I know everything about spreadsheets." A senior analyst knows there are entire fields of data science they've never explored. They see the gaps in their knowledge. They compare themselves to the absolute best in their field. And they think: "I'm nowhere near that level. How did I get here?"

Meanwhile, someone genuinely underqualified might think they're doing great because they don't know what they don't know. That's called the Dunning-Kruger effect – and it's the opposite of imposter syndrome.

So if you're feeling like a fraud, that's actually a sign you're self-aware enough to see your own limitations. That's not weakness. That's honesty.

But here's the problem: that honesty can paralyse you. You second-guess decisions. You over-prepare. You don't speak up in meetings because you're afraid of being exposed. You attribute your success to luck instead of skill. You think "I just got lucky this time" instead of "I'm actually good at this."

And that's where imposter syndrome becomes dangerous – not because it means you're actually incompetent, but because it stops you from showing up fully as a leader.

Why Leaders Feel Like Frauds

I worked with a woman – let's call her Amara – who'd just been promoted to head a department in a central bank. She was brilliant. Her team respected her. Her results spoke for themselves.

But she was convinced she didn't deserve the role.

"Everyone else here has been in banking for 20 years," she told me. "I came from the private sector. I don't know the regulatory landscape like they do. They're going to realise I'm not qualified."

Here's what I noticed: Amara knew more about leadership than most of her peers. She understood people. She could see problems others missed. She made decisions quickly and confidently. But she was fixated on what she didn't know – regulatory details – instead of recognising what she brought to the table.

That's the imposter syndrome trap. You focus on your gaps instead of your strengths.

I asked her: "If you're such a fraud, why did they promote you?"

She paused. "Because I got results in my previous role."

"Exactly. They didn't promote you because they made a mistake. They promoted you because you've proven you can deliver. The regulatory knowledge? You'll learn that. But they can't teach you how to lead people. You already know that."

Something shifted for Amara after that conversation. She stopped trying to be someone else. She stopped pretending to know things she didn't. Instead, she leaned into what she actually brought – her ability to develop people, her strategic thinking, her calm under pressure.

Within six months, her team's performance improved dramatically. Not because she suddenly became an expert in banking regulations, but because she stopped wasting energy on self-doubt and started showing up as herself.

That's what imposter syndrome costs you – not your job, but your presence. Your authenticity. Your ability to lead with confidence.

The Real Conversation You Need To Have

Here's what I want you to understand: imposter syndrome isn't something you overcome by working harder or learning more. You overcome it by changing how you talk to yourself.

Most people with imposter syndrome have an internal dialogue that sounds like this:

"I made a good decision, but it was just luck." "My team respects me, but they'd respect anyone in this role." "I got promoted, but they'll figure out I'm not qualified." "I handled that crisis well, but any competent person could have done it."

Notice the pattern? You're discounting your wins. You're attributing success to external factors (luck, timing, the role itself) instead of your own capability.

The antidote isn't arrogance. It's accuracy.

Start noticing when you do something well. Not in a boastful way – just factually. "I made that decision based on my experience and judgment, and it worked." "My team is performing well because I've created an environment where they can thrive." "I got promoted because I've demonstrated I can handle bigger challenges."

That's not arrogance. That's just telling yourself the truth.

And here's the thing – when you start telling yourself the truth about your competence, you stop performing from a place of fear. You start performing from a place of confidence. And that changes everything.

What This Looks Like in Practice

In an energy company, instead of sitting silently in a board meeting thinking "I don't belong here," you speak up with your perspective. You know you might be wrong – but you also know your insights have value. Your voice matters.

In a government department, instead of assuming your colleagues are all more qualified than you, you recognise that you each bring different expertise. You're not trying to be them. You're bringing what you bring.

In a central bank, instead of thinking "I should have all the answers," you ask questions confidently. You're not pretending to know everything – you're genuinely curious and learning. And that's actually what good leadership looks like.

The shift is subtle but powerful: you move from "I'm a fraud pretending to be competent" to "I'm competent and I'm still learning." Those are completely different mindsets.

Your Challenge This Week

Here's what I want you to do. Pick one thing you've accomplished recently – something you normally would dismiss as "luck" or "not a big deal."

Write it down. Then write down: "I did this because..." and finish the sentence with YOUR capability, not luck.

"I led that project successfully because I have good project management skills." "My team is engaged because I invest in their development." "I handled that difficult conversation well because I've learned how to communicate under pressure."

Notice how that feels different? That's not arrogance. That's just accuracy.

Do this three times this week. Notice what happens to your confidence when you start telling yourself the truth about your competence.

The Bottom Line

Imposter syndrome isn't a character flaw. It's actually a sign that you care about doing good work and you're self-aware enough to see your own limitations.

But it becomes a problem when it stops you from showing up fully as a leader. When it makes you second-guess decisions you should trust. When it keeps you quiet when you should speak up.

The leaders I've worked with who've overcome imposter syndrome didn't do it by becoming more qualified. They did it by changing their internal dialogue. By telling themselves the truth about their competence. By recognising that being a good leader doesn't mean knowing everything – it means knowing yourself, knowing your team, and having the courage to lead anyway.

You're not a fraud. You're a leader who's still learning. And that's exactly what good leadership looks like.

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Ready to build the confidence and leadership skills that overcome self-doubt? Explore BAPD's executive coaching programmes, discover our leadership development approach, or connect with us on LinkedIn to learn how we help leaders step into their full potential.