The Imposter Syndrome

This month I started my PhD in Leadership & Change at Antioch University. The program is a low-residency cohort model which means 23 students in my cohort meet four times a year with the faculty for intensive class sessions and advising. I spent the first week of August in Yellow Springs, Ohio surrounded by an impressive group of faculty and students and at times wondering what I was doing amongst this mix of incredible people. During the week I learned about the Imposter Syndrome, a concept that is changing how I look at myself and others. Let me explain.

The 23 of us in the PhD cohort come from a wide range of professional backgrounds,

When do you experience the Imposter Syndrome and feel like you are hiding behind a mask?

but all with an interest and experience in leadership. As I've gotten to know my cohort members I've become more and more impressed with their accomplishments and life experiences. One of them ran for U.S. president on the 2008 Green Party ticket and was the first African-American woman elected as a U.S. Representative from Georgia, a position she held for two terms. Another student coordinated the timing of all the components of the space shuttle launches and later instituted case law in Colorado to help prevent animal cruelty. One student works with incarcerated domestic violence offenders and their victims helping them come together for restorative justice. Another leads a 650 person engineering consulting firm where they take on projects like building huge bridges and light rail systems. Yikes! What am I doing in this program? What have I done to change the world? That is the Imposter Syndrome creeping in. It's when we doubt our own skills and abilities despite evidence to the contrary. I found it easy to look at the accomplishments of the other students and start doubting the validity of my own work. Because the faculty had warned us that at some point all of us would experience the Imposter Syndrome, I was able to recognize what I was doing and then change my internal dialogue. That voice in our head can be so powerful at impacting our confidence, attitude, and courage. However, we also have the power to change that voice and rewrite the dialogue.

What is the voice in your head telling you? When do you experience the Imposter Syndrome? What do you not do because you are afraid you don't have the skills or experience needed?

Leadership & Creativity Coaching

Get Creative in Your Life!

Do you want to be more creative in your work or personal life? Are you interested in moving your leadership skills up to the next level? A coach can help you reach your goals.  Take the cue from serious athletes consider getting a coach to help you move to the next level.

Amy is now offering one-on-one coaching sessions for individuals interested in expanding their creativity or improving their leadership skills. Learn more online at http://climerconsulting.com/coaching.html or email Amy with questions.  

Workshop: Building Creativity into the Problem Solving Process

cre·a·tiv·i·ty - Noun: the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns or relationships to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, and solutions.

Why are some people-and some firms-more creative in their solutions than others? Especially in these times, new ideas and innovation are needed now more than ever.  This unique workshop will reveal the center of creativity in everyone and show how your organization can consistently access it to improve the quality of idea generation-and overall performance. Through video, discussions, and interactive activity, you'll leave with practical ideas to help you and your company reap the rewards of increased inspiration and creativity.

We spend time and resources teaching our talent how to communicate better, manage projects and use social media, all the while expecting them to be innovative. Yet, we rarely provide them basic tools in creativity, a teachable, learnable skill that can be successfully developed in both individuals and groups. In this workshop we will explore the intersection between risk and innovation, examine group versus individual creativity, and hear about recent research around these topics. You'll:

• Learn how to ensure creative output by following five proven steps
• Explore the interaction between innovation, trust, and risk taking
• Practice with idea generation tools
• Gain new tools to move past personal and institutional roadblocks to creativity
• How to avoid "creativity killers"

Date: Thursday, September 15, 2011, part of Midwest Forum for Talent Management
Times: 1pm - 4:30pm
Location: Madison, WI
Cost: $145/person
To register: visit www.midwestforum-tm.com Registration deadline Sept 6 

Workshop: Make it Experiential! Workshop Design and Facilitation Tools for College Personnel