How Impostor Syndrome Fuels the Confidence Gap for Women Leaders
Self-confidence is not a “nice to have” for executive success. It is a core leadership capability. When confidence erodes, it shows up everywhere — in tone of voice, assertiveness, networking effectiveness, and, most visibly, in interactions with senior colleagues.
Early in my career, I too questioned myself regularly, especially before speeches and high-stakes presentations. A familiar internal dialogue would surface: What if they find out I’m not who they think I am? What if they see past the façade and discover the real me — insecure, uncertain, and full of doubt?
This fear that others will somehow see through an exterior shell straight to an insecure inner core is one I encounter repeatedly in my coaching work with women. For women in senior roles, impostor syndrome is rarely about competence. It is about visibility, credibility, and the unspoken standards women are expected to meet — often without guidance, reinforcement, or acknowledgment.
Confidence cannot be left to chance. It must be practiced.
Women need to make time, regularly and intentionally, to reflect on their strengths and accomplishments. They need to know their achievements well enough that they are available in the moment — not buried in modesty or dismissed as “just doing the job.” Speaking up in meetings before someone else does and ensuring that ideas you make are clearly attributed to you are essential. Increasing visibility across the organization so that when opportunities arise, their names are already in the conversation. This is not self-promotion. It is establishing your leadership presence.
In my coaching work, one of the most powerful exercises is reviewing a woman’s top accomplishments; not casually, but rigorously. As we list the moments she is most proud of, we identify the skills she relied on to achieve them. Patterns emerge. The same strengths appear again and again. Those recurring skills are not accidental. They form the foundation of her leadership. They are what she should trust, especially when doubt creeps in.
Executive Image Is Not Superficial — It Is Strategic
Building an executive image — how you speak, how you show up, how you dress, how you assert authority — is not superficial. It is how credibility is established and how access to inner circles is earned. Respect follows clarity. Inclusion follows visibility.
Self-esteem, however, is not built on appearance alone. It requires a deeper, more honest reckoning with who you are, what you have achieved, and what you want next.
One of the most overlooked tools in overcoming impostor syndrome is feedback. If something feels misaligned — if your message isn’t landing or your influence feels stalled — ask why. Ask a trusted colleague to observe your presence in meetings and tell you what works and what doesn’t. Ask for a confidential 360-degree review. Awareness precedes change. Without it, growth stalls.
Reclaiming Confidence by Owning Your Proven Strengths
In my coaching work, one of the most powerful exercises is reviewing a woman’s top accomplishments; not casually, but rigorously. As we list the moments she is most proud of, we identify the skills she relied on to achieve them. Patterns emerge. The same strengths appear again and again.
Those recurring skills are not accidental. They form the foundation of her leadership. They are what she should trust, especially when doubt creeps in.
Leading Without Apology
Impostor syndrome thrives in silence and self-doubt. Confidence grows through clarity, evidence, and practice. For women at the executive level, the work is not becoming someone new. It is fully owning who you already are and leading from that place, unapologetically.
Closing the Confidence Gap
This is the work I do every day with women leaders. I partner with senior executives to address the confidence gap, strengthen executive presence, and lead with clarity at the highest levels of the organization. Contact me and start the conversation.
Breaking into the Boys’ Club
This article is one part of a broader conversation about confidence, credibility, and leadership for women navigating male-dominated environments. In Breaking Into the Boys’ Club, I explore these patterns more deeply, drawing on lived experience and coaching insights to help women leaders understand why self-doubt persists at senior levels and how to lead with greater clarity and authority. The book offers a fuller perspective on closing the confidence gap and claiming executive presence with intention.
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