In her thoughtful column in the January edition of the Texas Bar Journal titled, “Do You Suffer From Impostor Syndrome,” lawyer coach Martha McIntire Newman, focuses on a topic that has too long flown under the radar.  Ms. Newman describes this condition as “a state of chronic self-doubt that causes lawyers to fear they will be exposed as incompetent even though the evidence of their success is obvious to their colleagues and clients.”  TBJ, Jan. 2019, p. 56. TopLawyerCoach.com   This anxiety causes even “successful lawyers to second-guess themselves no matter how well they perform.”

The Impostor Syndrome discussed in Ms. Newman’s column is not limited to the legal field.  We have encountered many business owners, executives and entrepreneurs who have struggled, at times, with crippling self-doubt.  Ms. Newman quotes former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: “Very few people, whether you’ve been in that [CEO] job before or not, get into the seat and believe today that they are now qualified to be the CEO.  They’re not going to tell you that, but it’s true.”  For business leaders who face doubts resulting from the Impostor Syndrome, this post offers three suggestions to consider in addition to the sage advice provided by Ms. Newman.
Continue Reading Surviving The Impostor Syndrome: Staying on Course as a Successful Business Leader