Latest / Executive Careers with Fexingo: VP, C-Suite, and Senior Leadership Career Strategy / How Executives Handle the Imposter Syndrome That Follows a Big Promotion
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's a moment that almost every executive I've talked to remembers vividly — the week after the promotion is announced, the title is real, and suddenly you're sitting in your new office thinking, 'They're going to realize I don't belong here.' Luna: Oh, that feeling. I've had that in the middle of a board meeting once. Just a flash of 'what am I doing here?' Lucas: Right. And it's so common that psychologists have a name for it — imposter syndrome. But the version that hits after a big promotion is different from the general daily doubt. It's sharpened by the fact that you actually did get the job. So the question becomes: how do you handle that spike, specifically? Luna: Because logically, you know you earned it. But the feeling doesn't care about logic. Lucas: Exactly. So let's talk about why this happens, and then a concrete way to deal with it. The first thing to understand is that competence and imposter syndrome aren't opposites. Research by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who coined the term in the seventies, found that it's not the least competent people who feel this — it's often the most driven, the ones who set impossibly high standards for themselves. Luna: So the harder you work, the more you feel like a fraud? That's brutal. Lucas: It is, but it also reframes the feeling. It's not a signal that you're unqualified. It's a signal that you care deeply about doing well. Once you see it that way, you can stop trying to make the feeling disappear and start working with it. Luna: Okay, so what do we do with it? Lucas: There's a three-part framework I like — separate, verify, and recalibrate. First, separate the feeling from the facts. The feeling is 'I'm going to get found out.' The fact is that you were chosen out of a pool of qualified candidates. Write down, literally, what the evidence is. You didn't just get lucky — you got selected. Luna: That's the 'receipts file' idea. I've heard you mention that before. Lucas: Exactly. A folder, physical or digital, where you keep emails of praise, project outcomes, kind notes from colleagues. When the doubt spikes, you don't argue with it in your head. You open the file and read one or two entries. It's external memory that your brain can't dismiss as easily. Luna: I have to admit, I've used a version of that myself. I keep screenshots of nice feedback and metrics. And when I have a rough day, I scroll through them. It doesn't fix everything, but it stops the spiral. Lucas: And that's the 'verify' step. You're checking whether your internal assessment matches external reality. But here's the thing — the verification can't just be you looking at your own file. You need a second set of eyes. One of the most effective things I've seen executives do is to build a small peer review group, three or four people at similar levels in other companies, who you can ask: 'Is this reaction normal? Am I missing something?' Luna: That's so important because your own brain is not a neutral witness. Especially right after a promotion, everything is amplified. Lucas: Right. And these peers have nothing to gain from flattering you. They'll tell you if you're off track. That's the verify step in action. Luna: And then what's recalibrate? Lucas: Recalibration is about adjusting your expectations and your process. After a promotion, your baseline changes. The first ninety days in a new senior role are almost always uncomfortable because you're learning a new system, new relationships, new unwritten rules. That discomfort is not imposter syndrome — it's just onboarding. The recalibration is saying: 'I will not judge my performance in month two against people who've been in similar roles for five years.' Luna: So it's a grace period for yourself, but with a structure. Not just 'I'll give myself a break,' but 'I'll measure against the right baseline.' Lucas: Exactly. And this is where the 'receipts file' comes back in. At the ninety-day mark, you review what you've actually accomplished, and you update your baseline for the next quarter. The goal isn't to feel confident. The goal is to be accurate about your progress. Luna: That's a much more useful goal. Because confidence that's based on nothing is just arrogance. Lucas: And there's a research angle here that helps me when I forget this. A 2019 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology looked at imposter syndrome in the workplace and found that it was associated with lower job satisfaction and higher burnout, but also with something counterintuitive — higher task performance in certain settings. Because the doubt made people work harder, prepare more, double-check their work. So the feeling isn't purely toxic. Luna: So we can use it as fuel, as long as we're not running on empty. Lucas: Yeah. The problem isn't the doubt. The problem is when the doubt becomes paralysis, when you stop taking risks because you're afraid of being exposed. So the practical move is to set a rule: doubt is a reminder to double-check your work, not a reason to stop doing it. Luna: I remember a story about a CEO who would ask herself, 'What would I do if I weren't afraid?' And then she'd do that. It sounds simple, but it's a powerful prompt. Lucas: That's a great example. It reframes the question from 'Am I good enough?' to 'What action is necessary here?' And that's the kind of shift that separates executives who get stuck from those who move forward. Luna: But there's another layer, isn't there? The organizational side. It's not just about your own head — it's about how you handle the team's expectations when you walk in with a new title. Lucas: Right. Because imposter syndrome doesn't just live in your head. It affects your leadership. If you're second-guessing yourself, your team will pick up on it, and that can undermine your authority. So part of the recalibration is to project confidence, not for your own ego, but because your team needs a stable captain. Luna: And that's not about faking it. It's about being decisive with the information you have, and being transparent about what you're still learning. Lucas: Exactly. In my experience, teams don't respect leaders who know everything. They respect leaders who know what they don't know and are honest about it. That honesty actually builds trust and reduces the pressure on you to be perfect. Luna: So how do you actually do that in the first few weeks? You're new, you don't want to seem weak, but you also don't want to come across as a know-it-all. Lucas: I'd say pick your moments. In a one-on-one, you can say, 'I'm still learning the ropes on X, and I'd value your perspective on Y.' That's not weakness — that's good management. It also gives your team a chance to contribute, which they want to do anyway. Luna: That's a good point. And it also creates a culture where it's okay to admit uncertainty, which is gold for innovation. Lucas: And that brings me to another point — imposter syndrome can be a signal that you're in a stretch role, and that's actually a good thing. If you never feel a little out of your depth, you're probably not growing. So there's a paradox: the feeling you're trying to get rid of is partly what makes you effective. Luna: So we should be saying 'thank you' to our imposter syndrome? Lucas: Not every day, maybe. But acknowledge it. 'I notice you're here, and I'm going to use you to double-check my work.' Luna: That's a good reframe. I've had moments where I've felt that doubt, and I've found that talking about it with a mentor or a peer actually takes the sting out. Because you realize everyone has it. Lucas: Yes. And that's one of the most freeing things to learn. When I've shared my own imposter moments with other executives, they almost always respond with, 'Oh, I thought it was just me.' So the first step is to give yourself permission to talk about it. Luna: And that's something we've both benefited from in our own careers. And honestly, that's one of the reasons we love doing this show — when we hear from listeners that an episode helped them think through a career move, that's genuinely the best feedback. Lucas: It really is. And it's also what keeps us going. Producing these episodes takes time and effort, and we're able to keep the show ad-free because of the listeners who support us with a small monthly contribution. If you've gotten something useful from the show, a couple of dollars a month makes a real difference. You can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, even a small amount genuinely helps us keep the lights on. And we're not going anywhere, but the support means we can keep making the episodes you rely on. Lucas: So back to the imposter syndrome — one more practical tip. Create a 'pre-mortem' for your first big project in the new role. Before you start, write down all the ways it could fail. That may sound pessimistic, but it actually gets the worry out of your head and onto paper, where you can address it systematically. Luna: That's a great way to convert anxiety into action. Lucas: And when you do succeed — and you will — you add that to your receipts file. So the next time the doubt comes, you have even more evidence that you're not a fraud. It compounds. Luna: So the takeaway is: imposter syndrome is a normal companion to a big promotion, but it doesn't have to be a handicap. Separate the feeling from the facts, verify with peers, and recalibrate your expectations. Lucas: That's it. And next time you feel that spike, remember — it's not a sign you don't belong. It's a sign you're stretching. And that's exactly where the growth is.