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Welcome to Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass. Jon is the founder and CEO of Image Group International, an award-winning image consulting and personal branding pioneer established in 1989. This podcast will bring you old-school wisdom, inspiring ideas, strategies, and hacks for the new tech world. Here, you will learn everything about personal branding: the system, the techniques, and the right mindset to have a successful personal brand, image, and reputation.

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Hi everyone, and welcome to the personal branding masterclass. Today, we're discussing a topic that is not only close to my heart, but something that I know affects so many people. My clients certainly bring this up with me, and it's called imposter syndrome, and what I'm going to be sharing today some of the underlying reasons for this and some solutions on how to deal with this moving forward. It's that little voice in your head that whispers you're not good enough or you don't belong here. Yeah, well, we're going to tackle that today. And trust me, you're not alone in feeling this way. More and more people you might think struggle with this, no matter the level of success, whether you're just starting your career or you've already reached the top, imposter syndrome can sneak up on you, and I've seen it time and time again, leaders, politicians, CEOs, entrepreneurs and, of course, even celebrities. The key is on whether you feel like an imposter, but how you manage those feelings when they arise. So where does imposter syndrome come from? Well, you gotta be aware of this, because otherwise you're dealing with the content of this, as opposed to context where it originates from. It is important that you understand the context of this. Now it could be one of many contexts, but I'm going to certainly mention one for you today that I'm sure is going to be of interest. Most often it stems from self doubt, affectionism, and, of course, the fear of being exposed as a fraud, and I use the fraud element, of course, in quote marks, because, of course, fraud is just a perception. In this case, these feelings are typically triggered when we step into new roles, achieve new levels of success, or start comparing ourselves to others, among others, but here's a secret. It's normal. In fact, if you're feeling like an imposter, it's probably a good sign that you're pushing your boundaries and stepping out of your comfort zone. And guess what? That's exactly where real growth happens. One underlying emotion might be low status perception syndrome. This is when people believe they are in a lower status than they actually are. It's not just about feeling like an impostor. It's also about undervaluing your place in the room, your career or even in your personal life. You might think you don't deserve to be heard or taken seriously, and you might even minimize your achievements. I've seen this, especially in highly capable men and women, okay, and especially in women, that's upsetting, because they have the qualities to Excel, but the perception of self becomes a barrier. And this is important. Of course, this also happens to men, and you know, it's falling victim to this perception of self is common for both sexes, but in my experience, happens even more so with women. And here's the reality, the perception of low status often has nothing to do with your actual value. It's a mindset issue. Yes, that comment again, mindset. Because everything stems from mindsets, the way you see yourself in the mirror, and this is something you can't avoid, so when you look at it from that perspective, okay, there is also the possibility then, in changing that mindset over time. So the world may already see you as successful, but you're stuck in seeing yourself through a distorted lens of unworthiness as one example, and this mindset can hold you back just as much, of course, as General imposter syndrome can. It's just also part, you know, you can argue it's another part of imposter syndrome. Remember, your value isn't measured by others expectations or your own insecurities. So it's time to reframe how you see yourself. So how do we overcome this? 

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Well, let's get into this concept called imposter syndrome, syndrome once and for all, I have three strategies that I've seen work wonders for my clients and, of course, myself, over the years. So let's walk through them. First of all, it's about reframing your thoughts. When that voice in your head says, I'm not qualified or I'm just lucky, challenge that ask yourself, what evidence do I have to support this thought? Usually you find that there's no solid proof behind it. Instead of leaning. Into feelings of doubt, ground yourself with facts, write down your achievements, your skills, at all the hard work you've put in to get you to the position you are today. It's also a great way to remind yourself that you're not here by accident. You've earned your spot, and you intend to maximize your possibilities. This is what I say to a lot of my leaders, that could be C suite, could be entrepreneurs, or, of course, politicians. I said, Look, you're in this role because you've been chosen to be in this role. Doesn't matter how you got here. The reality is you're in this role. So right now, you've got a responsibility. You got an accountability to go out there and lead. So it doesn't matter, even if you feel like you don't belong in this role, if you're going to stay in this role, just start leading. And part of that, of course, is dealing with this concept called imposter syndrome, especially if it's something that's come up. Number two, stop comparing yourself to others. We live in a world where social media gives us a front row, what I call fake image seat to everyone else's highlight reels. It's fake because we know that. And how do we know that? Because it's constant dopamine hits specifically designed to get you away from your Integris self, your stable self, and sort of destabilize you. And we know this, of course, because we've spoken about this many, many, many times before. Mental health issues is a serious problem in society right now, that social media has played a big role in creating having said that, I just want to put the cave here. I'm not saying don't use social media. I'm just saying they've been part of the problem. They're also actually do some good things as well, but right now, just want to focus on how they also part of the problem. So remember, what you see on Instagram, Facebook, or all LinkedIn, for that matter, is the polished version. You're not seeing the challenges. You're not seeing the failures, all the tough moments that everyone experiences behind the scenes. You're not getting a billionaire talk about how tough it is, you know, to be a family person. They're not talking about their dirty business behind the scenes or some of the other stuff that goes on. And I'm I'm saying that because people do look up to billionaires, they look up to the celebrities, they look up to other powerful people, and they think they are perfect. 

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And that's not true at all. And of course, if you saw the recent American debate between Trump and Harris, you would have saw imposter syndrome there big time, because both of them were going through that whole journey themselves, make no mistakes, so focusing on your own journey is the key here, and success isn't a competition. Remember, it's personal. When you stop comparing your paths to others, you'll feel a lot less pressure, and I'm more empowered to embrace your unique strengths. Okay? And this is important, because if you want to grow, if you truly want to grow, you have to definitely go through this concept. Otherwise, what you're doing is you're you're superficially dealing with it by putting more masks on top of the masks. The next one is definitely embracing imperfection. Perfectionism is imposter syndrome is best friend. The more you chase perfection, the more likely you are to feel that you're never good enough. But here's the truth, perfection is an illusion. No one, no matter how successful, achieves perfection in everything, it's just impossible. So except what I would call is a perfect imperfection, and just move on. And guess what? Surprisingly, you'll discover that everyone else is in a similar boat. The key here is to aim for excellence and to celebrate progress, not perfection. Real growth comes from learning, helping others, evolving and sometimes even failing sometimes, I would say maybe most of the time, especially if you're an entrepreneur. So give yourself permission to be perfect. It's where your best lessons lie. Remember, the lessons here are not problems to fix or or mistakes or anything else that sort of you know, lands you into a place of negativity. Your lessons here are really great. Get back up, give it your best shot and give it another shot. That's lessons, that's learning from lessons just, you know, the idea here is not to keep on repeating, though all the same old stuff. 

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Now I want you to pause and reflect. Take a deep breath. Think about the last time you felt like an imposter. What triggered those feelings, and more importantly, how did you deal with them? If you're still struggling with your inner critic, take comfort in knowing that you're not alone. You. Even the most successful people, people that you look up to, face the same doubts. And I'm sure, if you really reflect on this, it could be family, could be your best friends, it could be colleagues at work. It could be some of the famous people you see on television, of course, or social media. The difference is how they manage those feelings and keep moving forward with a touch of the cliched fake it till you become it very important. And of course, if you prefer the psychological version to that, it's act as if no different to what Aristotle said a long time ago. 

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So my personal experience, that we share something personal with you. I've been in rooms with highly accomplished people, including Prime Ministers, CEOs and even royalty. And trust me, imposter syndrome doesn't just go away with success. It doesn't matter. In fact, the more you achieve, the more you face with new challenges that can trigger those feelings again, because as humans, we're emotional beings. And every time we're going to a new a new sphere of influence, we'll call it potentially, you might get nervous and might bring up the past stories. You get triggered to some of the the past stories that you might carry. And of course, we just know that it's all about managing that, because that's what human beings do. They have to manage that, otherwise, if they get every moment they get triggered and blow up, well then good luck with that. That's not going to serve you. There's certainly in being perceived as a competent person, you just can't do that. There was a time also when I questioned whether I deserve to be in the same room as CEOs and industry leaders, but I learned that everyone has those doubts, and what matters is how you rise above them. And of course, in my experience, from an early age, I became an autodidact in my learning and made a decision early to inner and outer personal development, and this is an inspiring, lifelong journey. And when I say that inner and outer, that's because it's practical and real well, because this is the key, ladies and gentlemen, even if you feel fantastic on the inside visually, if the world doesn't see that on the outside, they still don't believe you, where that also then can attract the negative energy, what I would use in this term that, of course, can actually get you, then to feel down on yourself again. So before I wrap up, it's just understanding that personal development is in and out. And in my coaching approach, of course, that's very dialectic, and it's very, very in the middle of dealing with both at once. So before we wrap up, remember this imposter syndrome isn't something you need to fix. It's something you need to better understand, lean into, and, of course, manage. It's a signal that you're growing, pushing your boundaries and, of course, evolving into the next version of yourself. So the next time that voice in your head tells you that you don't belong, acknowledge it, thank it, and don't let it hold you back, remember you've earned your place, and you have so much to offer. Life has so much possibilities for you to unlock. It's just a matter of you getting into action around that and also being very, very supportive of your self, as opposed to just other people. And in closing, I want to say thank you for joining me in today's episode. It's always great to have you on board. If you found this helpful, please subscribe, leave a review and write us on Apple podcast. Remember building your authentic personal brand is as much about how you see yourself as it is about how others see you. If you're looking for further guidance and you need our help, feel free to reach out to Patricia at patricia.bosa@imagegroup.com.au, and connect with me on x at Jon_Michail, or a LinkedIn or Facebook as image Group International, until next time, keep growing, keep challenging yourself. Cheerio. 

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Jon Michail’s Personal Branding Masterclass Podcast is sponsored by Image Group International, a global team of practical, digitally savvy personal brand and image strategists based in Australia, committed to maximizing your impact, influence, and authority in the business world. To learn more and apply for personal coaching, seminars, and group workshops, please visit imagegroup.com.au or call 1800 631 311.