In any high performing team, someone will have the Imposter Syndrome.

Is Someone in Your Top Team Fighting a Battle You Can’t See?

The troublesome Imp

Imposter Syndrome (IS) isn’t always obvious, but it’s nearly always costly.

In high-pressure environments, even your most talented people may be silently asking themselves:

“Am I just winging it?”

“Was I only picked because they were desperate?”

“What if I can’t keep this up?”

These thoughts don’t come from a lack of ability. It isn't even exactly aligned with low levels of confidence. These thoughts come from distorted self-perception, often brought on by stress, change, or cultures that reward relentless output while quietly eroding confidence.

While it starts with that nagging voice undermining confidence, it rarely stay confined to the inner voice. Instead, IS shows up in behaviour:

• Hesitation in meetings

• Reluctance to take ownership or apply for promotion

• Overwork that leads to burnout

• Withdrawal, perfectionism or people-pleasing

None of this is about weakness. It’s about how pressure distorts focus and trust in ourselves.

You can’t lead well when your brain’s in survival mode.

And yet many high performers are doing just that - shrinking, doubting, striving - while presenting a calm exterior.

The results? Slowed, less confident decision-making. Missed opportunities. People who underplay their strengths or second-guess their judgement, all while convincing themselves they’re the problem.

You might not see it, or may only see glimpses, but it’s there nevertheless.

This isn’t a flaw or an inherent weakness. It’s a pattern of thought that builds.

Imposter Syndrome isn’t a mental health diagnosis. It’s not a sign of low intelligence or low ambition. In fact, it’s usually the opposite: driven, conscientious professionals with high standards and strong values are often the most affected. All of our work has been done with this latter group.

Furthermore, when one person is quietly struggling with it, it can shape the tone of the whole leadership team, even the whole organisation. A loss of confidence can be catching.

You should also know that the presence of IS isn't a flaw in your culture. However, if your culture attracts one high performer with IS, then it is likely to attract others.

So what helps?

First, naming it. The moment we acknowledge Imposter Syndrome, we take away its power. It passes from something to experience to something to examine and beat.

Then we look for patterns: in thinking; in behaviour; in how we respond under stress. Most importantly, we learn to separate feeling from fact. That’s where real change begins.

IS isn't a diagnosis and this isn’t therapy. At OPCoachUK, we work with high performing teams to:

• Spot the signs early - in themselves and others

• Build a language of resilience that doesn’t rely on bravado

• Challenge self-sabotaging thoughts and unhelpful habits

• Reconnect with purpose and authority

It starts with organisation-wide knowledge sharing and then hones in on targeted coaching. Our IS coaching programme is evidence-based, practical, and aligned with your business culture. When done well, it leads to braver decisions, clearer thinking, and stronger leadership presence across the board. People who come out of Imposter Syndrome are stronger than the person who went into it.

So let me ask: who in your organisation might be fending off this Imp right now?

You may not know who is experiencing it, and that is not a fault in you. Simply, people often won’t always speak of it, especially if they don't yet know they have it. But they’ll definitely benefit from someone who can help them to evict it and for many, one application lasts a career.

This is a great place to see if you might want to work with us on other projects. It can stand alone as a topic, or can fit into a larger programme of professional development.