What kind of imposter are you?
Impostor syndrome comes up a lot in conversation.
Perhaps this is something you’ve experienced, too.
That sense that you're going to be “found out” as an imposter. You don’t know what you’re doing, you don’t belong, you aren’t good enough.
Pretty much everyone I’ve ever talked to has experienced this at some point, and many are experiencing this as we speak.
Usually, when my client and I dig in deeper to this experience for them, we find one of three situations at play.
Often, “Imposter Syndrome” is the term used to describe the very normal and expected feeling of discomfort when stepping into something new for the first time. Perhaps it’s a new role or a new assignment and you don’t have your bearings yet. Of course you don’t feel like you don’t know what you’re doing yet, you haven’t done it yet.
When this comes up, my client often finds that naming it, giving themselves grace as they’re learning, and approaching what they’re learning from a place of curiosity is helpful.Second, this feeling comes up as a client settles into something new and realizes that there are, in fact, gaps between how they’re showing up and how they want to show up. Perhaps it’s a hard skill they need to focus on, or a new way of operating to better meet the moment they’re in.
In these cases, we focus our coaching work on the areas where they want to develop, helping them gain experience and confidence to fully step into their role.Finally, for some clients, a past situation is overshadowing how they’re feeling about their current circumstances. Perhaps it is based on something that came up in a performance review, feedback from a peer, the end of an employment or contract situation, or a bad experience managing a situation where they were learning something new or filling a known gap. Those past experiences are now influencing their assessment of their current circumstances.
In these cases, we unpack what’s true and what’s helpful from those past experiences to bring into their current situation and focus on addressing that feedback in their present reality.
If you’re feeling a bit like an imposter, which situation are you in?
What’s helpful for you to move forward?
June 18, 2026
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
