The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett - Moment 43 - The Key To Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Episode Date: February 3, 2022

In these ‘Moment’ episodes of my podcast, I’ll be selecting my favourite moments from previous episodes of The Diary Of A CEO. This particular moment was taken from an episode where I asked you guys to send in questions you wanted answering. This one really stood out to me as its a question I get so often, yet I think people are looking at imposter syndrome in completely the wrong way. Facing the feeling of being outside our comfort zone is a challenge to overcome, but with the right mindset we can turn those nerves around into something positive. When you feel butterflies in your stomach, my evidence and interpretation of this nervousness tells me I am ready to do the thing that is instinctively making you anxious. Despite associating imposter syndrome with fear, I strongly believe that it is a good feeling to have. Growth requires us to step outside of our comfort zone, to push ourselves and expand our abilities. Each time you do this, the next time will be just that little bit easier. What people call imposter syndrome is a sign you're exactly where you are supposed to be. Though short I felt this was a moment that couldn't be missed. Episode 103 - https://g2ul0.app.link/oMH2Vkboinb Watch the episodes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/StevenBartlettYT?sub_confirmation=1

Quick one, just wanted to say a big thank you to three people very quickly. First people I want to say thank you to is all of you that listen to the show. Never in my wildest dreams is all I can say. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd start a podcast in my kitchen and that it would expand all over the world as it has done. And we've now opened our first studio in America, thanks to my very helpful team led by Jack on the production side of things. So thank you to Jack and the team for building out the new American studio.

And thirdly to Amazon Music who, when they heard that we were expanding to the united states and i'd be recording a lot more over in the states they put a massive billboard in time square um for the show so thank you so much amazon music um thank you to our team and thank you to all of you that listen to this show let's continue hey steven hope all as well so my question is with regards to imposter syndrome have you any feedback with regards how to deal with that have you experienced it yourself and just how to go about like getting out of that mindset and acknowledging that you are potentially as good at your role as what people think you are and you're not bluffing it or fluking it and so on. Thank you. So here's the thing. I think we all feel deep within us the same feeling

anytime we're in a position that feels a little bit outside of our comfort zone. Sometimes that feels like a little bit of nerves in your chest. For example, when I go up on stage and I know there's 10,000 people behind the curtain, of course I feel that in my chest. Of course I have that tingling, that sensation that they call butterflies.

However, I don't interpret it as being fear, as being a signal to escape or to avoid the scenario. My interpretation, which has grown over time and our interpretations are influenced by our beliefs, the stories we tell ourselves based on the evidence we have, based on our experiences. And my evidence, my interpretation tells me that I'm ready, that this feeling is normal and I'm supposed to feel this way. People sometimes, because of their experiences and the evidence that's created and the stories that's made them believe about themselves, will tell themselves that that feeling is fear, that they should run, that they are ill prepared, that that feeling is there because they aren't competent enough to complete this task. So what I'm saying is we all get the feeling, but the story we tell ourselves is ultimately what creates what some people call imposter syndrome. For me,

if you look at my life, I've kept myself one step outside of my zone of comfort for my entire life. Of course, I've never been a dragon on Dragon's Den. No one in their first year has been. I'm looking to my left and seeing Peter Jones, who's been there for 17 odd years and Deborah Meaden to my right, who's been there for 15. I am new. However, I'm supposed to spend my life in situations where I am an imposter. That is the sign of growth. If I'm ever spending too long in a room or situation where I don't feel to some degree like an imposter, I am in the wrong room. And if I am to grow, and growth is an incredibly important part of being stimulated and motivated and being fulfilled,

I have to change rooms. For me, in my life, I've spent my entire life trying to escape my zone of comfort and keeping myself one foot outside of that zone of comfort. And when you do that, what you find is that zone of comfort expands, you take one more step and it expands again. Every person that's ever done anything for the first time,

whether it's Ed Sheeran singing to a group of people before or Barack Obama doing one of his speeches or Usain Bolt running in a track, when they first started, they were inexperienced and incapable. So you should expect and welcome that feeling. It's a feeling you're supposed to have. If you're somebody who wants to spend your entire life

growing and progressing and learning, which are all things conducive with fulfillment, you should always feel like an imposter. If you're not, I would assert that maybe, maybe you're playing it too safe. Maybe you aren't challenging yourself enough. So for me, what people call imposter syndrome isn't evidence that you're in the wrong situation,

one that you aren't supposed to be in. It's clear proof that you're in the right one. You're exactly where you're supposed to be. I'm supposed to spend my entire life doing things that make me feel somewhat like an imposter. That is the answer to a happy, fulfilling, progressful life where I'm striving forward, I'm trying things, I'm challenging myself, and I'm pursuing goals that are worthwhile. We should all feel imposter syndrome. So if you're not, then it's time to challenge yourself more.