Valerie Young is the leading global thought leader on impostor syndrome, she has spoken to hundreds of organizations, including Google, Pfizer, Coinbase, JP Morgan, Harvard, NASA, and the NBA. Her book is in 8 languages.
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Impostor Syndrome Institute – The world’s No. 1 source of Impostor Syndrome Solutions.
3 Value Bombs
1) Impostor syndrome is not your superpower.
2) The best of entrepreneurial thinking is also humble realistics thinking. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to seek out information and constructive feedback that is going to make you continue to get better.
3) This is not all about you. Everybody loses when bright, talented and capable people plays small.
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YT 100: Email JLD to learn more about making YouTube magic in 100 days: john@eofire.com
Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: Sorry But Impostor Syndrome is Not Your “Super Power”
[1:31] – Valerie shares something that she believes about becoming successful that most people disagree with.
- Impostor syndrome is not your superpower.
[2:08] – Valerie talks about what is the impostor symdrome.
- The original term is Impostor Phenomenom coined in 1978 by two psychologists.
- A lot of people, men and women, has this belief deep down that we are not as intelligent, confident and qualified that everyone thinks we are and that if we somehow fly under the radar undetected, we are going to be found out.
[2:55] – Valerie talks about how she get interested in this topic.
- When she was a student in the University of Masachusettes, somebody brought a paper of capable , confident women at that time and she identified with them. She did her research in the similar topic and turned it into an educational intervention and full day workshops and has been running around it eversince.
[3:51] – Valerie talks about where does the impostor syndrome come from.
- There are situational factors and not just from childhood messages and experiences.
- People in stem field, information dense and rapidly changing are more vulnerable and there are also societal factors and grouped in stereotypes.
- There is no one source but at the core , it fundamentally comes from our unrealistic, unsustainable expectation internally of what it means to be confident.
[5:19] – Valerie talks about impostor syndrome and low self esteem.
- There has been some studies that found a connection between impostor syndrome and low self-esteem.
- It has found to impact 82% of people but to her it is not a fancy term to low self esteem.
- The consequence of impostor syndrome impacts not only individuals but also in your business and organization interms of retention, advancement, innovation, health and wellness.
[7:37] – A timeout to thank our sponsor!
- YT 100: Email JLD to learn more about making YouTube magic in 100 days: john@eofire.com
[10:46] – Valerie shares why she disagrees with Barbara Corcoran, Seth Godin and others saying the impostor syndrome is a good thing.
- The reason why they are saying it is a good thing is because you are learning.
- You have to feel inadequate to be learning and she doesn’t think so.
- It’s a good thing because it motivates us to work harder and she doesn’t want her motivation to work hard.
- Another reason is the reseach shows that might work for some people but research shows women are less propelled by self-doubt and they step back than push forward.
- The third reason is it keeps us humble, but she never met a single woman who said to her that they will keep their impostor feeling because it makes them humble.
- It’s a false choice and she wants to introduce a healthy choice which she calls a humble realist who is somebody who is genuinely humble but never experience impostor feelings.
- The difference is they are thinking different thoughts specifically having a realistic understanding of what it means to be confident, having a healthy response to failure and mistakes, constructive feedback, one who understand that a certain amount of fear or self doubt is just a part of the achievement journey.
[12:43] – Valerie shares what we as Entrepreneurs need to know about impostor syndrome.
- The best of entrepreneurial thinking is also humble realistics thinking. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to seek out information and constructive feedback that is going to make you continue to get better.
[14:06] – Valerie gives an advice on what we can do if we experience impostor syndrome.
- There are three things that you can do. First is to step back and look for the good reasons you might have impostor feelings, to normalize it by zooming out and getting a bigger view. Do less personalized and do more contextualizing. Second is to reframe confidence, failure, mistakes, setbacks, constructive feedback and fear and adapt the mindset of a humble realist. Third is to keep going regardless of what you feel and don’t wait until you feel confidentto launch or grow your business.
- Change your thoughts even if you don’t believe it yet and get started acting on then over time, confidence will catch up.
[15:41] – Valerie gives her final take away.
- This is not all about you. Everybody loses when bright , talented and capable people plays small.
[16:21] – Call to action.
- Impostor Syndrome Institute – The world’s No. 1 source of Impostor Syndrome Solutions.
[16:54] – Thank you to our Sponsor!
- YT 100: Email JLD to learn more about making YouTube magic in 100 days: john@eofire.com
Killer Resources!
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