unmasking your inner leader · 2017-06-26 · the secret thoughts of successful women: why capable...

Unmasking Your Inner Leader: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and Finding Self-Confidence

Heartland Veterinary Conference

June 2017

Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP (canine/feline), CVJ

snoopydoc@gmail.com

Everyday Leadership

Why?

Impostor Syndrome is “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in face of information that indicates that the opposite is true. It is experienced internally as chronic self-doubt, and feelings of intellectual fraudulence.”

Men & Women Handle Imposter Syndrome Differently

For most people, the impostor phenomenon is a normal part of developing a professional identity. But at the more extreme end of the impostorism spectrum, the experience can have tangible effects on mental health, job performance, and career decisions.

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The problems of failure are hard.

The problems of success can be harder, because nobody warns you about them.

Pop Quiz!

Imposter syndrome test: http://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf

This is a TRUE impostor! You, on the other hand, are a “novice expert.”

Unmasking yourself: Coping with Impostor Syndrome

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•  Own your feelings

•  Own your thoughts

•  Understand what those feelings are for

•  Recognize the negatives of social media

•  Reframing

•  Realize no one is perfect

•  Build social support

•  Go to conferences and meetings

•  Know that failING is not failURE

•  Recognize your expertise and value

•  Do not hold back

•  Seek professional help when needed

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Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a

disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time

and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly

courageous one. Two things cannot be in one place.

~ Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

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Be brave and take action!

What can bosses, mentors, and leaders do to help?

Providing help: •  Monitor for signs of impostor

syndrome in their employees

•  Discuss that anxiety can become self-destructive

•  Provide constructive criticism

•  Role model that critical feedback is an opportunity for learning and growth—not a catastrophe

•  Emphasize the value of work-life balance to limit burnout

•  Provide wellness resources

•  Reinforce the links between positive achievements and efforts

•  Offer praise when it’s due

•  Don’t punish mistakes but use them as learning experiences

Confidence!

Male leaders recognize a confidence gap between men and women

Perfectionist Predicament

Go for it! Confidence is a belief in one’s ability to succeed, a belief that stimulates action. In turn, taking action bolsters one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed. So confidence accumulates—through hard work, through success, and even through failure.

Super Power Poses!

Associations can help by providing resources to members

Stretching and Growing is a good thing…

Thank you!!!

Lori Teller, DVM, DABVP (canine/feline),

CVJ

Meyerland Animal Clinic

713-723-8612

snoopydoc@gmail.com

AVMA Board of Directors, District 8

TVMA VPAC Trustee

Some references and suggested reading materials:

•  https://hbr.org/2015/01/youre-never-too-experienced-to-fake-it-till-you-learn-it•  http://paulineroseclance.com/impostor_phenomenon.html•  http://startupbros.com/21-ways-overcome-impostor-syndrome/•  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/9296374/Male-dominated-boards-will-fall-behind-rivals-says-report.html•  http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome•  http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/the-confidence-gap/359815

•  Kay, K., & Shipman, C. (2014). The confidence code: the science and art of self-assurance-- what women should know. First edition. New York, NY: HarperBusiness, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

•  Young, V. (2011). The secret thoughts of successful women: Why capable people suffer from the impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. New York: Crown Business.

•  Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the labyrinth: The truth about how women become leaders. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

•  Harris, L. (2010). Unwritten rules: What women need to know about leading in today's here