Killing the Con Man: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in Corporate Game

Impostor syndrome, that nagging feeling of inadequacy, affects many people in management and engineering leadership. It is particularly common when transitioning from a performer to a manager or architect. You may think, "I don't belong here. I'm falling short. My role is a lucky accident." But as Frank W. Abagnale wrote, "A boy simply wasn't worth a man's wages. So I aged ten years overnight." In other words, it's time to leave the impostor behind and embrace the logic of your worth.

Imagine you're a landing page developer, and every day you craft and refine the user interface until it's pixel-perfect. Or, you might be a builder, stacking brick after brick, day after day, until a towering edifice stands before you. However, when people rise to leadership positions, they can sometimes struggle with the transition. They start off with passion and enthusiasm, but as time goes on, they can begin to feel burnt out. The problem? They no longer see the tangible results of their efforts. But fear not, I've been there, and I have a solution.

Decomposing the role

At the outset, trust that you were hired for a reason. You possess the talent and potential your managers sought. However, even if you trust your leaders, you may still be plagued with self-doubt. The solution is to decompose your role and identify your value. For example, consider the cost of a month's work versus the cost of decision-making when building a platform and universe. The latter is worth hundreds of times more. You are responsible for a team, managing risks, and shaping the future of the company. You are not just a builder laying bricks or a developer creating a landing page.

Mentoring is an integral part of leadership. You can determine your worth by calculating the cost of an hour of consulting or the cost of mentoring ten specialists simultaneously. When you compare managers and architects to a full-fledged design bureau, it's easy to see how their decisions affect the entire ecosystem. One wrong move can lead to huge losses, reputational damage, project failure, and wasted time. Therefore, it's important to make the right strategic turns and guide your team on the right path.

Not all managers are created equal. Useless managers can be removed without affecting the team or the company. However, good managers are essential to success. They make the right decisions, shape the culture, and set the tone for the company's future. As a manager, you must always remember the weight of your decisions and the ripple effect they can have.

I firmly believe that if a mediocre manager were to replace me, the entire puzzle would crumble in an instant. This is because decision-making carries immense weight and complexity. While minor setbacks can often be remedied, the same cannot be said for incorrect strategic choices.

Gauge impact and outcome

As an engineering director, I initially wondered about my value and contribution to the organization. However, upon analyzing my work, I realized that my advisory role helped guide technical decisions, resulting in increased reputation, risk mitigation, and the prevention of costly failures. A single production failure alone can result in six-figure damages, making it essential to have leadership and guidance in place to prevent such incidents.

Strategic discussions with leadership involvement may appear insignificant to some individuals, but they are crucial for successful outcomes. The scarcity of effective managers in the market speaks to the complexity of the role and the importance of having the right person in charge to ensure success.

The number of calls and their purpose is a critical aspect of effective management. From strategic sessions to managerial sync-ups to 1-2-1 mentoring, every call has an impact and outcome that must be evaluated. One of the challenges of being a manager is the lack of tangible solutions that can be seen or felt. The role involves guiding, directing, and prompting others, which can radically change the course of events and future outcomes.

Visibility vs. Value

In the corporate world, it's not uncommon for top management to be unaware of what other managers are doing. This lack of transparency can lead to self-doubt and confusion among employees. This is where self-promotion and visibility of one's work come into play.

However, there's a delicate balance to be maintained between visibility and value. Many companies tend to prioritize visibility by organizing numerous presentations and meetings but fail to assess the real value of the work being done. On the other hand, an employee may recognize their own worth, but due to the lack of presentability, they may remain in the shadows, raising concerns from top management.

Some executives enter the company with great fanfare, delivering a dozen presentations highlighting their expertise, experience, vision, and plans for the company's future. Upon completion of the probationary period, these leaders expect feedback on their work. But is it really necessary? In my experience, it's more useful to evaluate the value of their presence and whether there's a correlation between their promises and actual results. Have any partnerships been established, certifications achieved, or profits generated? This is where the truth lies.

Each person determines their level of visibility. For example, I'm not the type to constantly seek validation from management to prove my importance to the company. Instead, I prioritize completing my duties, focusing on clients, maintaining relationships with colleagues, and communicating with other departments. However, if there's a need to demonstrate own value, there are ways to do it.

1. Present your demo after a certain period or sprint, making it a mandatory practice so that employees systematically share the status of ongoing projects. If there's nothing to show, the question arises: what have you been doing? This prompts a question for your leader: why were there no tasks? This applies to all departments.

2. Understand the scope of your role. Determine what you're doing and how many people are benefiting from your work. While being useful for oneself is important, it's equally important to analyze how many people depend on your decisions.

3. Calculate the cost of your right and wrong decisions. Determine their financial and effort-related worth.

4. Recognize the responsibilities and risks associated with your position.

5. Evaluate the impact of your work, including the psychological impact. As a leader, you perform not only managerial tasks but your mood and presentation have a significant impact as well.

6. Move beyond thinking in terms of individual tasks and look at the big picture. Start thinking about the global outcomes and impacts of your work.

7. Balance the visibility and value of your work. You can't be just a “man in a case” nor just a presenter. Strike a balance between the value you bring and how you communicate it to the organization.

   
   

Instead of getting bogged down by self-doubt and questioning your abilities, channel your energy into taking action and seeking out the knowledge you need to succeed. Remember, you don't have to go it alone — leverage the expertise of your colleagues and mentors to help you achieve your goals. By taking a comprehensive view of the impact your work has on the company and its products, you'll be amazed by the level of value you bring to the table. So don't hold back — take charge of your career and unlock your full potential.