Wise Wednesdays

My CV was a meter long. I had more letters in my name than behind my name as my coach pointed out. But I still felt inadequate most of the time.     Imposter Phenomenon (IP aka Imposter Syndrome) is defined as the “fear of being found out” because we don’t feel good enough. Hallmarks are perfectionism, overpreparation, procrastination, and the inability to internalise success despite evidence of competence e.g. dodging compliments! At the heart of it is a fear of rejection.   Is that a problem? No. Unless, it’s taking over your life. IP is linked to anxiety, depression and burnout.   In which case, below is a tool you might like to try before getting personal support. (n.b. Positive affirmations help but are not enough to uproot this pattern).     I DIDN’T REALISE I WAS DOING THAT…   Awareness is the first step towards transformation. Sometimes, it’s so eye opening that the awareness alone is enough to propel change.   Tool: What’s Your Perfect Im...

  I had just completed my Tony Robbins coaching certificate and felt ready to start taking on clients. And it worked. The plan was to do consulting but it’s the coaching that took off and this May it’s been 7 years since I wrote the first Wise Wednesdays.   Two months before that, I’d walked out of the government building where I worked and said goodbye to the career I’d carefully crafted for 18 years. Looking back, it looks like a moment of madness or perhaps of true sanity. I had to suspend all disbelief and trust the process. I had to focus intensely on the present. I had to self-regulate my fears and anxieties (the previous time I had faced that intensity of fear was when heading into a warzone in 2006…)   But you know what happens when you take a leap? Life continues. It supports you in mysterious ways. You figure things out. You go through the highs and lows. And things work out one way or another. The fear that holds us back from doing what we truly want is ALWAYS ...

  It’s 40 years since my first school report stated that I was ‘assertive’. ‘Assertive’ 4-year-old me. In my career, people have described me as ‘intense’, ‘confident’ and ‘outspoken’. When I was 26, a chief of medicine called me ‘arrogant’. I was mortified. Why would advocating for fairness mean I’m arrogant?…It took me years to understand that speaking my mind might not please everyone. The System: Just do your job and smile. Me: OK… Nevertheless, with exposure to organisational politics, I got better at picking my battles and being more strategic about when to challenge and when to wait. Working on Global Health policy with the United Nations and leading collaborations across countries, disciplines and organisations refined my influencing skills - with the help of very experienced bosses who taught me their secrets in the art of influence and diplomacy. Here are 7 things I learned about influence and still use when it matters (which is every day): 1) Know where the line is. C...