Adeola Benson was an ambitious intelligent and outstanding woman who ceaselessly nursed the idea of rising to the top in her corporate career. She possessed a sharp mind and exceptional leadership skills, making her an ideal candidate for success in the business world.
After completing her education, Adeola got a job at a world-class multinational corporation. Soon after she began, she demonstrated her skills so brilliantly that within a few years, she had become a manger. As motivating as this feat was, Adeola had something she hoped no one saw, she knew she struggled with it and earnestly prayed it was never seen. As she further climbed the corporate ladder, she began to experience a persistent feeling of doubt and insecurity known as imposter syndrome.
Adeola was in doubt of her abilities even though she had all the qualifications and achievements. It was so bad that she always questioned her own competence and believed that she did not deserve the success she had achieved. She felt all she had earned she didn’t deserve and feared that one day, the truth about her fear will be exposed.
One day during their board meeting, she was nominated to speak at an event on a theme she was good at but she looked for an excuse and turned it down.
This happened 3 times and it got her chairman pissed. She apologised and said she would go for another one. Another one came and she went. However, the night before, she fell ill, she had engaged in overthinking and fear had enveloped her greatly. She had to put herself together and though everyone applauded her, she got home and cried herself to sleep, complaining to herself on how woefully she did (which was not the case because she did very well).
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Adeola got back to work and didn’t know how to receive the accolades that awaited her. She appreciated their kind words but still believed she didn’t do well. This self-doubt began to affect Adeola’s performance at work. What now began to happen was that she hesitated to voice her opinions during meetings, fearing that her ideas would be dismissed or ridiculed. She would often downplay her achievements and attribute her success to luck or external factors. As a result, Adeola’s confidence took a toll, and she struggled to reach her full potential.
She understood it was imposter syndrome, she decided to deal with it by seeking guidance from a mentor within the company. Luckily for her, the mentor had gone through similar situation and was willing to support Adeola.
Her mentor, Chris convinced her that her accomplishments were well-deserved and that she had earned her position through hard work and talent.
Thanks to her mentor’s support, Adeola started overcoming her imposter syndrome. She recognised her abilities, began to see herself as worthy, acknowledged her feats and even went ahead to document her successes, reminding herself of the positive impact she had made within the company.
Beyond her self-development, she sought professional development opportunities to enhance her skills and knowledge.
From seminars to workshops, to networking and so on. She made a deliberate attempt to engage in activities that showcased her strengths, and she regained her confidence.
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After a while, all her hard work began to pay off, she was no longer scared to voice her opinion at meetings, and she gracefully embraced leadership roles. Her colleagues saw the spark in her, her superiors admired the impressive contributions she made (with results to show) to help better the company. Adeola was excited about this progressive turn, and she was owning it and taking it all in with imposter syndrome glaringly uninvited.
Even though Adeola had significantly changed, the elements of imposter syndrome would creep in a few times. The interesting thing was that, because she had learnt how to manage it, she ensured it did not hinder her progress.
Adeola’s greatest discovery was that imposter syndrome was very common with high achievers, and the more she met them and they shared their experiences, the more she was happy to know she was not alone, and to this end, she began to speak up about it, and encouraged people who struggled with it.
As years passed by, Adeola became a phenomenal person at work and in life generally. Her journey from battling imposter syndrome to becoming a confident and successful leader served as an inspiration to many. She continued to learn, grow, and empower others, proving that with perseverance, self-belief, and a supportive network, anyone can overcome their doubts and achieve greatness in their chosen field.
