Imposter Syndrome Signals Growth, Not Inadequacy

We don’t talk about imposter syndrome often enough. And when we do, it’s usually framed as a problem to be fixed.

But what if that nagging voice, “I don’t belong here, someone’s going to find me out” wasn’t evidence of your inadequacy? What if it was proof of your growth?

Where Imposter Syndrome Shows Up

In my twenty odd years of coaching, I’ve noticed something consistent: imposter syndrome rarely appears when people are coasting. It doesn’t show up when you’re doing something familiar. It arrives when you’ve stretched. When you’re standing in a new role, a bigger responsibility, or in a room you weren’t in last year. That voice in your head isn’t saying you don’t belong, it’s whispering, “You’ve grown.”

A Different Metaphor

Think about muscle soreness after a workout. That ache isn’t a sign you’re weak, it’s a signal your muscles are building new strength. Psychologists would call this “productive discomfort.” Bandura’s research on self-efficacy showed that 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦 (Bandura, 1997). Imposter syndrome is simply the body and brain’s way of noticing you’ve stepped onto that edge.

A Story from the Field

I once coached a newly promoted leader who said, “I feel like a child sitting at the grown-ups’ table.” Her instinct was to hide, to play small until she “caught up.” And as we unpacked it, she realized that if she felt this way, it meant she was exactly where she needed to be, stretching into leadership, not staying in the safety of middle management. By naming the feeling as growth, she stopped trying to erase imposter syndrome and started using it as a compass.

What You Can Do

The next time imposter syndrome hits, try this:

• Name it. Say to yourself: “This is my brain telling me I’m growing.”

  • How to: pause for 10 seconds, take one deep breath, and describe what’s happening out loud or in writing. Label it neutrally: “I notice my inner critic is active because I care about doing this well.”

• Anchor in evidence. Psychologist Amy Cuddy reminds us that presence is built not on pretending but on connecting with what’s already true (Cuddy, 2015). Write down three concrete reasons you belong in this moment.

  • How to: grab a notebook or your phone and list three concrete reasons you belong in this room, role, or conversation. They might be experiences you’ve had, values you bring, or skills you’ve built. Then take one more step, share that evidence with a trusted friend or mentor who can mirror back what they see in you. Externalizing it reinforces internal belief.

• Recast the voice. Instead of “I’m not enough,” shift it to “I’m learning enough to grow.”

  • How to: each time your inner critic pipes up, respond with one of these phrases:

    • “Thank you for the reminder that I care, now, what’s the next small step?”

    • “I don’t need to be perfect to be effective.”

    • “Every expert once felt exactly like this.”

  • Neuroscience shows that self-compassion quiets the brain’s threat response and boosts resilience (Neff & Germer, 2018). By softening your inner dialogue, you rewire your brain to see growth as safe, not scary.

The Reframe

Imposter syndrome isn’t proof that you’re unworthy. It’s proof that you’re on the edge of something bigger. So instead of pushing it away, pay attention. It’s a growth signal.