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I am well qualified and experienced for the role that I do. I have a Masters in HR Management, I am a Chartered member of the CIPD, I am a qualified coach from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), and I am accredited in both Insights and C-me psychometric colour profiling tools. But sometimes there is an internal voice saying, “Who does she think she is?” that makes me doubt myself!

In his song ‘Hold Me While You Wait’, Lewis Capaldi sings “I wish that I was good enough” and, I don’t know about you, but I know that’s how I feel every now and again! Imposter Syndrome is a real ‘thing’, and people at all levels and of all abilities can suffer from it. Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent, internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.

At the start of summer 2019, my Imposter Syndrome reared its ugly head! I was privileged to be asked by Lola Okunrinboye, Chair of Aberdeen Women in Sustainability Network, to speak at their inaugural event. The topic was ‘How to have a powerful voice’ and, as flattered as I was, it brought out my Imposter Syndrome. What could I possibly tell a room full of intelligent, bright and innovative women about having a powerful voice?

Once I got over my initial fear, and reflected on my own experiences, I realised that I actually did have a lot to offer. My talk didn’t have to be about how wonderful I was (because I’m not!) nor full of positive experiences. Life is full of ups and downs and we learn from our mistakes, so sharing these can help others avoid the same pitfalls.

On the night itself, I met many amazing women who were super-clever: an environmental scientist, a mechanical engineer, an architect, a biochemist, and several of them had numerous degrees. Many of the women had previously been in the Oil and Gas sector and, due to the downturn, decided to retrain and take different career paths.

I was in awe of their resilience and their determination to succeed and be the best in their sector. Yet, despite being highly qualified, fully skilled and having shedloads of experience, many of them had shared similar experiences of being passed over for promotion in favour of a male colleague. So, you can understand why Imposter Syndrome was doing the rounds in that room!

This is why it is so important to have women’s networks. This is why it is important to give women the skills to have a powerful voice, to make their point of view heard and, effectively, to “sell” themselves. Otherwise, women might always be in this position – overlooked, unheard or undermined – and that is not the legacy we want to leave behind for future generations.

Having a good coach who supports you, who challenges you to believe in yourself and your abilities, is a great way to keep Imposter Syndrome at bay. There are also some great Ted Talks on this subject; in particular I would recommend: Susan Colantuono ‘The career advice you probably didn’t get.’ and Casey Brown ‘Know your worth and then ask for it.’

As Eleanor Roosevelt famously said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”