The Climb to Superstardom

The vertical axis of this matrix tracks your abilities on a certain topic. The horizontal axis tracks your confidence on that topic. You can have any combination of these two measures. The map simplifies it into two categories for each: high and low. In reality, each axis is a spectrum with many points between high and low. Your ability and confidence continuously marches along these axes as your career unfolds. Let’s explore the four boxes on the matrix.

The lower left box is what I call the “Humble Student.” This is where most people start when embarking on a new journey, such as your first job. As a new graduate, you seldom have much real-world experience and this can lead to a state of low confidence. This is perfectly normal! Time and experience will help you grow out of this box.

I refer to the lower right box as the “Actual Imposter.” Unfortunately some people end up in this box coming out of school as well. These people do not have significantly developed abilities, but outwardly show high confidence. This box is the home of arrogance. If you are reading this article, you are probably not here. Actual Imposters often lack self awareness, and don’t seek out tools to help them become more effective. However, if you think you might be here, then keep reading, as I have advice for this box too.

The upper left box is the home of Imposter Syndrome. This happens when your abilities start to develop, but your confidence is slow to catch up. Many people evolve here, especially in the first few years of their career. We often get used to the feeling of low confidence, and this is hard to break once our real abilities start to emerge. This box is particularly common when surrounded by highly competent people, who might be a few years ahead of you. Organizations with poor constructive feedback or mentoring cultures also contribute to getting stuck in this box. The most unfortunate result is when your inner voice of self-doubt continues to grow in step with your actual abilities. This can go on for years, and can become debilitating.

Our final box, on the upper right, is what I call the “Confident Superstar.” This is where most people end up eventually. It is the beacon to navigate towards as you develop in your career. Your abilities and confidence are in sync when in this box. You can keep growing and advancing in a healthy way once you figure out this formula.

Before we move onto advice on navigating each of these boxes, we have one more idea to explore. It is common to be in multiple places on this map simultaneously, depending on the topic. Jobs often consist of several different assignments. Perhaps you are an individual analyst most of the day, but you also have some management responsibility. It is possible (and common) to be a Confident Superstar on one of these tasks, but maybe have imposter syndrome on another. Before proceeding, I suggest you think about this for a moment. How do you feel about your ability and your confidence related to the multiple hats that you might wear? These ideas can apply outside of your job or career as well. Some people recognize imposter syndrome related to their involvement in volunteer work, hobbies, relationships, or any other areas where their skills are developing. Understanding your journey on a topic where you have high confidence can often help you navigate your way through another topic where you have less confidence.

Navigating the Map

With an understanding of the map and an idea of where you currently sit, the next step is to learn how to better navigate. The following is practical advice for becoming more productive in each of the four boxes.

Lower Left - Humble student

This is likely where you’ll be very early in your career. You don’t have much confidence, but that matches your ability. Climbing up to the Confident Superstar box takes effort and time - possibly years. But that is OK! The journey can be immensely rewarding, especially if you are doing it with the right mindset. I intentionally drew the line out of this box as a stair step. As much as you might like to move directly (and quickly) to the Confident Superstar status, this does not represent reality. Instead, you will make many small, incremental upgrades to your ability over time, and these will offer an increased sense of confidence. The key is to be patient and to keep these balanced. If these get out of step, you run the risk of veering into either imposter syndrome, or being an actual imposter. The advice for the next two boxes gives guidance when these get out of step.

Lower Right - Actual Imposter

If you find yourself in this box, a practical step is to work on self-awareness. This is always easier said than done. Sometimes this box signals a deeper underlying problem. Arrogance can often be a coverup for an insecurity. I suggest taking an honest look at the gap between your confidence and abilities, and then working hard to level up any abilities that you find lacking. Many people in this situation have an almost subconscious, nagging feeling that they are not good enough. This mindset is not comfortable, so they come up with a way of masking it in an attempt to make the feeling go away. Yet the nagging persists, which hinders progress. If you find yourself in this situation, try to visualize what it would feel like to shed this feeling permanently. This will happen when your abilities match up with your portrayed level of confidence. You can use this vision as motivation to level up your abilities over time.

A simple and easy shift of mindset is to mentally move yourself back into the Humble Student box. Acknowledge to yourself that you need more time to develop your abilities, and that is OK! Once in this place you can productively follow the stair steps from Humble Student to Confident Superstar.

Upper Left - Imposter Syndrome

It is somewhat of a paradox, but this box is both the easiest and the hardest to navigate out of. It is easiest, because you don’t necessarily have to do anything physical. It likely doesn’t require taking a new class, learning or perfecting the use of a tool, or mastering some body of knowledge. It really is just a mental shift, but that in itself can be very hard. This journey focuses on overcoming the negative bias that our subconscious brains tend to have.

Again, this negative bias comes from a place of self-protection. It is our subconscious keeping us alert and prepared. That nagging voice in our heads that says we are not good enough is really trying to ask if we are doing enough to “survive”. It would be convenient if our inner voice could spend more time gathering facts and then work on better marketing.

Regular self assessment is a good exercise to help overcome imposter syndrome. Try to do this when you are in a good frame of mind. If you do it on the heels of a minor failure or a stressful period, your inner voice will be charged up and even more biased. Try to look at your career in a rational and fair way. Put yourself in the shoes of a close friend. What would they say about your abilities? Look at recent and longer-term accomplishments. What are some of the things you are proud of? What things went really well? In what areas have you had a lot of growth? What feedback have people given you on these topics? Do you see any patterns during this assessment? How might you use these patterns as a formula for continued development?

If failures or negative experiences come up during this introspection, don’t push them away. Rather, say to yourself, “It’s OK brain. Yes, that kind of sucked, but I survived. Thank you, but I am good.” If anything comes up that is a recurring failure, consider mentally moving back into the Humble Student box on that topic. Think about ways to level up your ability so you can step your way into the Confident Superstar zone. But you don’t need to haul your whole being back to this status. You can be a superstar in a bunch of areas at the same time you are leveling up in another.

Another good strategy is to have a conversation with a good friend or a mentor. We are often too critical when we perceive the way others are judging us. A great way to remedy this is to get direct feedback from the people we respect. We will often get positive feedback in these instances on details we are not even thinking about. It can also include constructive advice in areas that can help us climb even higher into the Confident Superstar category.

I’m sure some readers of this post are probably disappointed at the simplicity or even naivete of this advice. The roots of imposter syndrome can be really deep, and overcoming them is not easy. For some people the negative voice overrides every positive thought. When you think about a win, it comes up with an even bigger failure to offset it. And it can be strong enough to prevent you from trying even the small development steps, as you assume you are going to fail before you even start. If you find yourself in this place, please don’t give up! You can overcome this. It involves retraining our brains, and unfortunately that effort can be very hard and slow. If you find yourself blocked in this way, getting regular help from a coach, a therapist, or a friend can be really effective. A trusted person can not only listen to what is going on for you, but can also offer rational reinforcement. This can be really helpful to keep your inner voice honest which over time retrains your brain and breaks this cycle. And brain retraining is like strength training or exercise–it is most effective if you can practice with regular consistency.

Upper Right - Confident Superstar

Once you are in this box, you don’t really need to do anything, other than keep doing what you do best! It is productive to do a self assessment from time to time. As your career evolves and you take on new responsibilities, you might find yourself dipping back into other boxes. Nothing in life is static. Observing and adapting to this evolution is a healthy way to keep at peak performance.

Remember that it is common to simultaneously be in different boxes on different topics. This is even more common if you take on a new role, or have made a career change. You can use your prior successes and experience in one area to recognize your situation and use it to plot a healthy, productive path forward in the new territory.

My final advice when you are in this box is to help others! As I work with more and more people, I am continually reminded of how many are affected by imposter syndrome. People seldom reach out to their mentors or friends on this topic because of fear or shame. They don’t think they will measure up in the eyes of others. So as a Confident Superstar, reach out to those still climbing! Offer words of encouragement and praise. Help not only to nurture their abilities, but also help build their confidence. Let them know they are doing great and you believe in them. Think back to how helpful this might have been for you at the right moment in your career. It can make a big difference and takes very little effort.

Conclusion

Like many things in life, imposter syndrome is just a label for a struggle that people go through at times. Unfortunately it is usually self-imposed. But it does not define you and it is not permanent. A little introspection, open-mindedness, and rationality are all you need. Once you can recognize the situation for what it is, these simple tools help you to not only overcome this, but to propel you to become the confident superstar you are meant to be.