Latest / The Talent Brief / The Fear of Being Found Out
Transcript
- Jeff Ganter: What if you're not afraid they'll find out you're not good enough? What if you're afraid, they'll find out you are? I'm Jeff Ganter, and thanks for listening to the talent brief. I've been thinking about the fear of being found out. We usually connect it to imposter syndrome. That quiet voice that says, Eventually they're going to realize I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not as qualified as they think. I somehow got lucky. And yes, that fear is real. But I think there's another version we don't talk about enough. What happens if they find out you actually are capable? What happens if you find out? Because then the hiding place gets smaller. You might have to raise your hand, ask for a promotion, start the business, leave the relationship. Change careers, speak up in the room, put your work into the world, or admit that thing you've been telling yourself you're not ready for might have very little to do with readiness. That's where signal versus scripts gets interesting. The signal may be: I want this. I'm curious. Something feels alive. I think I can do this. And then comes a script. Who do you think you are? You're not ready yet? Other people know more. Wait until you're more confident. Get another certification. Maybe next year. And sometimes we call that humility or preparation or being realistic. But occasionally it's hiding with really good branding, and I know that one. Because when we stay just outside the arena, we get to preserve something incredibly seductive. Possibility. I could do that. I could become that. I could try that someday. As long as we don't step forward, we never have to find out. And that's what works both ways. We don't have to discover that we might fail. But we also don't have to discover that we might succeed. Because success creates its own discomfort. Now people see you. Now expectations change. Maybe your relationships change. Maybe the way you see yourself has changed. And suddenly you can't keep telling the same story about who you are. That's why I wonder if some of us aren't. actually afraid of being exposed. We're afraid of being revealed. There's a difference. Exposure says. They're going to discover I'm not who they thought I was. Revelation asks, what if I'm more than I've allowed myself to become? And that can be terrifying. Because the fear of being found out can keep us from finding out. Finding out What happens when you stop shrinking? Finding out what happens when you trust your experience. Finding out what happens when you walk into the room without first convincing yourself that everyone else belongs there more than you do. So here's this week's challenge. Notice where you're keeping yourself safely in the land of I could. Then ask yourself. What am I afraid? I might find out about myself if I actually try. Don't rush to answer it. Just notice what shows up. Because maybe there's nothing wrong with wanting to be ready. But there comes a point when preparation stops preparing us and starts protecting us. And sometimes the only way to find out who you're becoming is to let yourself be found. One last signal. Being seen isn't proof that you've arrived. It might simply mean you've stopped hiding. Trust the signal, question the script. And something new before you go. A share signal. If someone came to mind while you were listening, someone you suspect might be standing just outside their own arena, share this episode with them. Maybe they don't need another push. Maybe they just need to know somebody sees them. As always, thanks for listening. See you soon. Bye.