How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Can I be honest with you?

I've coached hundreds of entrepreneurs. They all have imposter syndrome. You're not gonna get rid of it.

And actually, you don't want to get rid of it. Because in almost every case, your imposter syndrome is trying to teach you something.

So the goal isn't to get rid of imposter syndrome. The goal is to learn from it.

In this video, I want to share three things I've learned from imposter syndrome over my last 10+ years as a coach.

Before I learned these three things, I'd dread getting on calls with clients. Deep down, I felt like a fraud. And I didn't market myself as much because I didn't want to be found out.

After I learned these three things, I started looking forward to calls. My clients got better results. And I was much more confident marketing myself and charging high prices.

Let's start with the first lesson.

1. Nobody Knows Anything

Jerry Seinfeld tells a story about being invited to speak to a comedy class.

He told them:

"The fact that you have even signed up for this class is a very bad sign for what you're trying to do.

The fact that you think anyone can help you or there's anything that you need to learn...you have gone off on a bad track.

Because nobody knows anything about any of this.

And if you want to do it, what I really should do is I should have a giant flag behind me that I would pull a string and it would roll down, and on it the flag would just say two words:

Just work."

It's easy to assume that everyone else knows what they're talking about. But experts are often the most aware of what they don't know, while beginners tend to display overconfidence. They call this the Dunning-Krueger Effect.

It can be very liberating to realize that a lot of what we learn, all these formulas and systems...it's all made up.

How do you build a business? Nobody knows.

How do you lead a team? No clue.

How do you mix a new jar of natural peanut butter without a little bit of the oil spilling over the jar? It's a complete mystery.

Sure, there are some helpful guidelines to follow. There are some things that work. But it's all a rough approximation of reality.

So give up the idea that credibility means knowing it all. A little bit of self-doubt is actually a good thing. It means that you have more to learn.

2. Stop Playing God

I used to get anxious about my clients.

I'd wonder: Are they getting results? Am I doing a good job? Do they like me?

These thoughts fueled my imposter syndrome and took the fun out of coaching.

One day, I was explaining this to another coach.

He said, "Greg, stop trying to play god."

And he was right.

I was taking too much responsibility for my clients.

There was a hidden benefit to me. When things went well, I got to feel responsible for my clients' success.

But when things didn't go well, I felt responsible for that too. It stressed me out and disempowered my clients.

Then I started thinking about my experience as a client.

I don't hold my coaches responsible for my success. And I don't expect them to save me, either. I just want them to do their best.

The fact that you can't control the universe doesn't make you a fraud. It makes you human.

Sometimes, your imposter syndrome is a sign that you're taking too much responsibility for your clients.

3. Gather Evidence

When you think about imposter syndrome, there's an assumption that you're not actually an imposter. You just feel like one.

But what if, in some ways, you are an imposter?

The only way to find out is to stop thinking about yourself and start looking at your clients.

What results do they get on average? Are they sending you referrals? Are they signing back on with you?

It's hard to argue with actual evidence and real numbers. But a lot of us are scared to look for evidence and find out that it's not there.

I can tell you that when I started coaching, I was much more of an imposter than I am now. And I probably charged too much in the beginning, relative to the value that I provided. I was anxious for a reason.

If I had been more diligent about measuring client progress and collecting feedback, I would have gotten better. And I would have been more upfront with potential clients about what was possible.

So don't assume that your feelings are irrational. Ask yourself, "In what ways am I fraud?" It's okay. No one's perfect. But there may be things within your control that will make you more confident.

Sometimes, your imposter syndrome is a sign that you need feedback. One of my favorite ways to get feedback is by creating case studies. Then I can look back at them whenever I'm doubting myself.

If you want to learn my process for creating case studies, watch this video next. It will help you generate real-world proof that you know what you're doing. It'll make you more confident and it'll help you get more clients.