PPP 440 | Imposter Syndrome: Moving Beyond Self-Doubt, with Kelli Thompson

People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

Summary

In this discussion, Andy welcomes leadership coach and author Kelli Thompson to discuss her book Closing the Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential, and Your Paycheck. The conversation explores topics such as the imposter syndrome, the importance of taking action despite self-doubt, and differentiating confidence from arrogance. Kelli shares practical strategies for building confidence by aligning decisions with personal values and eliminating elements that cause resentment. The discussion delves into the concept of 'expensive thoughts' and ways to transform them into freeing actions, with a focus on overcoming procrastination and self-doubt.

If you'd like some practical ways to overcome self-doubt, this is a discussion you don't want to miss!

Sound Bites

• “The cost of doubting ourselves can be far more expensive than we realize.”
• “What would you do if you had more confidence?”
• "Confidence is a side effect of taking action.”
• “The two most expensive words in our language are ‘but first.’”
• “If you don’t know what you stand for, what will you fall for?”
• “There’s a healthy level of doubt that is part of confidence—it keeps you from coming across as a cocky leader.”
• “You can’t criticize yourself into more confidence.”
• “Facts ease fear. Name the lie, insert the truth.”

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:33 Start Of Interview
• 01:44 What Would You Do If You Had More Confidence?
• 02:55 What Are Some Nuances That Can Make Confidence Tricky?
• 06:13 It's Not 'When' You're Confident As Much As 'When' You Are (Or Are Not)
• 07:09 Values And Confidence
• 10:00 Values Are Not 'Shoulds'
• 11:59 The 'But First' Syndrome
• 14:25 Doubt Vs. Imposter Syndrome
• 17:03 How Kelli Addresses Self-Doubt
• 23:09 The Link Between Facts And Fear
• 23:25 The Pedestal Syndrome
• 26:37 How Men Can Empower Women In The Workplace
• 29:18 Building Confidence In Children
• 31:38 End Of Interview
• 32:02 Andy's Comments After The Interview
• 37:36 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Kelli and her book at KelliRaeThompson.com.

For more learning on this topic, check out:

• Episode 431 with Dr. Sam Adeyemi. He's a top leadership voice in Africa and has helpful insights on moving from self-doubt to confidence.
• Episode 295 with Don Moore about his book on more confident decision-making.
• Episode 179 with Andy Molinsky about getting out of your comfort zone.

AI for Project Managers and Leaders

With the constant stream of AI news, it's sometimes hard to grasp how these advancements can benefit us as project managers and leaders in our day-to-day work. That's why I developed our e-learning course: AI Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Using AI in Your Everyday Work.

This self-guided course is designed for project managers and leaders aiming to harness AI's potential to enhance your work, streamline your workflow, and boost your productivity.

Go to ai.i-leadonline.com to learn more and join us. The feedback from the program has been fantastic. Take this opportunity to unlock the potential of AI for your team and projects.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Topics: Imposter Syndrome, Confidence, Leadership, Self-Doubt, Project Management, Values, Women Empowerment, Parenting, Fear, Pedestal Syndrome

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Imagefilm 034 by Sascha Ended License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license