{"id":27042,"date":"2021-12-03T11:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T11:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.franklincovey.de\/2021\/12\/03\/is-insufficient-leadership-development-letting-imposter-syndrome-thrive-in-your-organisation\/"},"modified":"2023-03-03T11:21:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T11:21:01","slug":"is-insufficient-leadership-development-letting-imposter-syndrome-thrive-in-your-organisation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.franklincovey.de\/de\/2021\/12\/03\/is-insufficient-leadership-development-letting-imposter-syndrome-thrive-in-your-organisation\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Insufficient Leadership Development Leading to Imposter Syndrome?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In our research, we found an alarming statistic that <\/span>58%<\/span><\/a> of people would trust a stranger more than their own boss. At first glance this seems pretty damning. It begins to look different, though, when you take into account that according to CMI research as many as four out of five managers in the UK are <\/span>accidental managers<\/span><\/a> – those who were promoted to their role without adequate training.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

We all want to be proud of the impact we have, and managers are positioned to have an extraordinary one. They are the difference-makers on the front-line; engaging employees, escalating customer priorities and executing on key company strategies. Their role\u2019s potential is unmatched, but as FranklinCovey research reveals, it is too often left untapped. Or, in the pandemic-era vocabulary we’re all sick of <\/del>familiar with, left to ’survive‘ rather than ‚thrive‘.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because fundamental, human shifts in the way leaders need to think and act are often not fully understood or effectively addressed. As a result, in the decade of research that produced our Wall Street Journal Bestseller <\/span>Everyone Deserves a Great Manager<\/span>: The 6 Critical Practices to Leading a Team<\/em><\/a>, we discovered that 81% of first-level leaders said they felt unprepared for their leadership when first offered the position. What\u2019s more, over 60% said they feel overwhelmed with their responsibilities at least a few times a month.<\/p>\n

If new leaders stepping up the career ladder for the first time aren’t\u00a0equipped with the competence or confidence to succeed in this demanding yet rewarding role, the likelihood of them internalising a paralysing self-doubt, perfectionism and warped perception that undermines both themselves and their team, skyrockets. Now more than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is today\u2019s world primed for imposter thoughts?<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to the International Journal of Behavioural Science, more than 70% of people are <\/span>affected by workplace imposter thoughts<\/a> at some point in their lives. Whether you relate to that specific term or not, self-doubt gets the best of us and has long been a chronic problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, it is a problem which has been exacerbated by a pandemic which tested everyone\u2019s resilience, restructured teams and threw people into unexpected positions of responsibility. For both new and seasoned leaders, it raised the stakes of their everyday job in an unprecedented way, requiring them to lead decisively but sensitively, with a presence but through a screen, as advocates for burnt-out teams but also drivers of their results.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nobody could have predicted what the world has recently gone through, and it is true that the pandemic has opened eyes to the crucial importance of learning and development. However, the answer to whether or not more could be done to safeguard managers‘ resilience, agility and energy, must surely be yes.<\/p>\n

Combine this with the fact that first-level leaders today are often high-performing millennials, the main victims of \u201chustle culture\u201d which glorifies overwork and heightens a fear of failing, and companies are left with managers primed for imposter thoughts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The urgency today, is that increased self-awareness and employer scrutiny means young leaders are less likely than ever to stick it out in a role or organisation that disables self-belief or causes significant stress.<\/p>\n

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A crisis of position\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The leap to leader comes with not only new practical responsibilities, but a need to reframe how they view their value and position in the organisation.<\/span> People skills become the backbone of their role, rather than their technical capabilities.<\/p>\n

Getting work done <\/span>with<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>through<\/span><\/i> others is <\/span>the<\/span><\/i> critical mindset to being a great leader. But when new leaders are not\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>only going from team member to manager, but from peer to superior, friend to boss, uncomfortable challenges that aren’t typically addressed by the onboarding process can get thrown up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this month the BBC <\/span>interviewed Lea<\/span><\/a>, a 25 year old who was promoted to manage the team she was on, who shared: <\/span>\u201cI was managing people who were the same age as me. I had only a couple months extra experience than the people I was in charge of. I\u2019d gotten the role because I established good leadership skills, but I was also afraid of being too assertive or dominant.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Frankly, it can be tough for first time leaders to figure out exactly where they fit or how to wield their newfound influence, both in relation to their direct reports and senior management- especially when they are closer in age to the former. The nuanced change in communication, the balance of authority and knowing when to lean in or step back, can be overwhelming to navigate without accidentally reverting to ‚individual contributor‘ mode.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lack of credibility<\/span><\/h3>\n

The self-doubt and lack of confidence can manifest in a number of ways, such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n