The Leader's Lens

As I’m sure so many of you have done or ARE doing – I’ve been thinking about writing for a hell of a long time. Too much thinking, if I’m honest, and not enough action.

So here’s my step off the precipice. My leap into the abyss. My desire to succeed finally overpowered my fear of failure.

I’m still searching for a cure for imposter syndrome. Perhaps we’ll flush that out here together, as I’m sure I am not alone in this…imposter syndrome, that silent killer of confidence, success, happiness, fulfillment. That insipid stream of self-doubt that always lived inside but suddenly grabs hold and no amount of conscious thought or logic to the contrary can clean it away.

It’s been a continual struggle for me all of my life but became especially problematic in grad school. Every day that I woke up as a student at Harvard, I felt this nagging fear that I didn’t belong, and even graduating didn’t help.

Imposter syndrome seeps in. Like the silica-rich water that winds its way into the voids and crevices in the earth, layers and layers below the surface. Over millions of years, it transforms into opal. The water evaporates, leaving the silica behind. Through this writing process, I will evaporate the self-doubt, and only the shining, colorful brilliance will remain in its place.

Ideally, on a shorter timeline than actual opal.

So here’s the plan:

• Write. A lot. Every day.
• Acknowledge the achievements
• Challenge negative thoughts
• Seek support from trusted sources
• Embrace continuous learning
• Celebrate progress, not perfection

Here we go.