Those of you who have held a software leadership position for a while: Do you still struggle with imposter syndrome? Can you share any stories of how you get past it?
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Alice Cronin
AVP Strategy/Planning
Having spent many years in healthcare, both on the clinical and IT sides, I've come to understand that as humans, mistakes are inevitable. However, as leaders, our goal should be to minimize these mistakes to minor errors through diligent testing and thorough preparation. One of the guiding principles that has allowed my teams and me to move forward is learning from our mistakes and always considering the "What If" scenarios. Using the lessons we've gathered from completed projects enables us to grow. Instead of placing blame, we focus on understanding what led to the outcome and what could have been done to improve it. Reflecting on these lessons before starting a similar project has allowed us to fine-tune and improve our outcomes.
As a support organization, IT must listen, learn, and improve, ensuring that the value we provide aligns with the business's needs. While this approach may cause some fear and hesitation, it is through planning, learning, and preparation that we gain the confidence needed to pursue our goals.
In healthcare, every change we make has an effect on patients, necessitating that we consider every impact from the perspective of IT, end users, and ultimately, the patient. This humbling perspective ensures that we always think twice and maintain a healthy doubt that we are making the right decision. As leaders, we are only as good as our teams. Listening to their input, experience, and perspectives allows us to move forward without being paralyzed by uncertainty. We need to plan for potential issues, including having a solid back-out plan. Demonstrating confidence, asking for help when needed, and celebrating successes are key aspects of effective leadership.
As someone in a leadership position in software, I can certainly relate to the feelings of doubt that sometimes arise. It's important to acknowledge that these feelings are entirely normal and human. Even the most successful leaders experience moments of uncertainty.
One of the key strategies I employ is to always keep a forward-looking perspective. It's crucial to have a clear vision of the horizon and to steer the team towards it. Mistakes are inevitable, but they are also invaluable learning opportunities. Admitting errors and working through the lessons they offer is a fundamental part of growth.
I firmly believe in the power of teamwork and the importance of pushing my team and experts forward. This collective effort ensures that we operate as a cohesive unit, rather than as isolated individuals. Transparency is another cornerstone of my leadership approach. From budget allocations to RFP processes and final decisions, maintaining openness is essential.
I've been fortunate to build a strong team of IT architects whom I can rely on. Regularly consulting with experts, including those at Gartner, helps me make informed decisions and stay ahead of industry trends.
In conclusion, leadership is about inspiring and guiding your team with confidence and clarity, while also embracing the human aspects of doubt and error. With a touch of humor and a lot of dedication, we can achieve great things together.
Consider exercising the beginner's mind.
"Shoshin (Japanese: 初心) is a concept from Zen Buddhism meaning beginner's mind. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying, even at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial arts, and was popularized outside of Japan by Shunryū Suzuki's 1970 book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
The practice of shoshin acts as a counter to the hubris and closed-mindedness often associated with thinking of oneself as an expert. This includes the Einstellung effect, where a person becomes so accustomed to a certain way of doing things that they do not consider or acknowledge new ideas or approaches. The word shoshin is a combination of sho (Japanese: 初), meaning "beginner" or "initial", and shin (Japanese: 心), meaning "mind"."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin
This is a GREAT QUESTION, and it shows a level of transparency that is sometimes missing in leaders. That's the first way you can tell that you're in the right place. Leaders should be transparent and genuine. This builds trust, and trust is the foundation of everything in leadership.
Here's an anecdote for you. The United States Military Academies are chock full of people who are excellent at academics, sports, and all sorts of other pursuits. Often, they're valedictorians, team captains, etc., and it has all come relatively easily for them. But now that they're in a cohort surrounded by people who are just as competent as they are, it's a little disorienting. They learn the hard way the old adage that "if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."
It's similar to being in a leadership role. You are now in a cohort of people who are as competent as you are. But remember that they see you just as you see them. You are peers. Just because you are new at leadership, doesn't mean that you're any less of a leader. There will always be people who do something better or know more about a topic, but such is the nature of teams. Where one may have a weakness, others have strength, and vice versa. Lean on those whose strengths are areas where you need growth. Let them mentor you.
Another thing that will help reduce or eliminate the impostor syndrome is time. The more you exemplify the characteristics of good leadership, the better you will get at it, and the more comfortable you will be. The obverse is also true. When you find yourself exhibiting some bad traits or behaviors, own up to it. Do better the next time. Owning your mistakes when you miss the mark is just as important as doing the right thing.
Lastly, find a mentor. Make sure it is someone you can trust implicitly. Give them explicit permission to tell you when you did something boneheaded. When that happens, ask them how to do it better next time. They will also tell you when you've done something well. They will challenge you to continue to advance your career and your interpersonal relationships.
I hope that was helpful.
Imposter Syndrome in my experience is a natural feeling in any new role, no matter how well suited you are, it shows you care about doing a good job, but also is positive that you are less likely to be under "Dunning-Kruger" syndrome (very useful to be aware of the different syndromes I find) - where naivety/more serious weakness can lead you to believe you are far better than you are which risks serious mistakes of judgement.
The fact you are aware of the fact you don't yet know many aspects/details (and worry about it) is in that sense a positive and shows mental maturity and self-awareness. Self-questioning (to a reasonable extent) I believe is a natural part of any good leader. Blind belief in your own expertise is dangerous and prone to arrogance.
There can be approaches of "fake it till you make it", but I'm not a fan of these. Those feel like the sort of approaches by persons who faked an inflated CV and managed to bluff through interviews knowing they aren't really up to the job.
Spend time getting to know how the new current company and team work, the company processes, and individuals and their strengths.
No-one reasonably expects a new manager/leader to be an expert in a company's operations on day one or for some time. In all new leadership roles I spend the first 3 months (and sometimes longer) saying at times - "I'm still somewhat new here, how does this work?" or "I've not come across this in the way its done here, we did this differently in my other companies"
Confidence can be an aspect of Imposter Syndrome too, so although I dont suggest "fake it till you make it", you should keep remembering the reasons the company hired you, your past experience and qualifications which you bring which are complimentary to the company you joined. It is those extra experience/knowledge (and not expertise in how they do things now) which is the value you add.
Bringing your past contrasting experiences and cases into discussion (in X company we did this in this way (which was better/worse in comparison) can also make you feel you are adding useful experience even if not fully familiar with the new company yet. Story telling (sharing your own useful past experience) I find helps a lot where its relevant to the situation to help add to existing thinking or problem solving.
Where there may be areas/aspects in the company (and the methods used) which are new to you (and none of us have done everything) then read up, use Gartner, ask people working for you (show that you may not be familiar with some particular elements). Whilst you might worry people will then question why they employed you over them (who do know this), remember a leaders role isn't to know more in every detail than all their people working for them, but to lead, guide, marshal and develop them. Reading up on other leaders (eg Henry Ford) may help in this regard.
You need to know enough so that someone cant pull the wool over your eyes, but don't need to know more than they do in their specialist field. However asking the right questions and bringing in relevant new ideas and examples from other companies will show your value. Where you do know more, resist the temptation to try and compensate for imposter syndrome by "showing off" against individual members of staff - asking "interested" type questions and constructive/synergising type comments which show you understand this well will impress the staff more than getting into a tech-know-it-all battle. Use their knowledge rather than try and compete with it. This can be an aspect where you have recently been promoted above the level of the people you are managing in the new role.
So, welcome the feeling of imposter syndrome as normal and healthy. As Jim below says, this will disappear over time, but at the same time a certain amount of questioning yourself (in a healthy amount of self-review) should continue even after many years in a role - "could I/we do this better?", "is this the best choice/decision?" , otherwise you risk complacency.
Best of luck.