Denise Corey Coaching Blog: An occasional blog on a wide range of topics including leadership, managing difficult work situations, and gaining new business skills.
Neil Patrick Harris shared that he has imposter syndrome on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast. So a Tony, Emmy, and Screen Actor Guild Award winner faces imposter syndrome!
How can such an accomplished professional still be plagued by fear of failure?
Most of us (including Tony winners) experience Imposter Syndrome whenever we take on new challenges, embrace learning new skills, or seek new responsibilities.
Carol and I started our tennis match on a hot summer night. My opponent was tall, fit, and an experienced singles player. The first set was over in record time. Changing sides of the court took longer than in some of the games.
Carol would serve, and I would flail, desperately trying to return the ball. She would answer my shot with a sharply angled hit, and I would scramble across the court, waving my racket ineffectually. If I were lucky, Carol's return would be mercifully unreturnable.
Read MoreWhat makes a leader? (check all that apply)
Provide vision
Allocate resources
Develop staff
Raise money
Set the course
Create a plan
Lead the Board
Fire people
Leaders do all these things and many other tasks, but a leader does something far harder. Leadership shows when we connect with others in a way that brings out the best in the leader and others.
Read More"Can I give you some feedback?"
What's your first reaction?
Say, Hell no!
Run away
Defend yourself from the criticism that's coming
Bare your teeth
Think, yeah. A chance to grow
Did you pick number 5? Wow, unicorns really do exist.
I recently heard this from a new client, let's call her Susan.
"I get everyone on board, they say they're with me, and then I start hearing a list of excuses."
Susan is a charismatic visionary who craves progress and thrives on experiments. To Susan, failures are points of interest and opportunities to learn, but her team sees it all differently.
Read MoreMost of us see ourselves as the heroes of our own stories. We happily own our successes but too often blame others for challenges and setbacks. When we look to others to solve OUR problems, we’ve given up our cape. We are no longer the hero-we’re the victim. Read this case- a near real-life example.
Read MoreA former client (let's call him Bob) returned yesterday. Bob insisted that his job was fine except:
He was underpaid
He was serving as a VP but didn't have the title
His boss was always looking for 110%
YOU MUST MAKE A JOB CHANGE. NOW!
Many of my clients reluctantly come to the decision that they must find a new job. After working for 10 or 15 years, they have skills, experience, reasonable pay... but no more tolerance for:
Bad leadership
Uninspiring work
Career limitations
Staying with a sinking ship
The realization that a job hunt is on their horizon, does not excite my clients. The task of finding a new, better job is really hard. These experienced professionals know that the search will tax their resilience, confidence, and stamina. The reward is a bespoke position--a job that's exciting, energizing, engaging and created with you in mind.
Finding a company that needs an experienced professional's unique set of talents and experience takes more than clicking through Monster.com or Indeed. My clients are not round pegs looking for round holes.
Read MoreLet me tell you a story about a young, ambitious man; I'll call him Adam.
Adam is 30 and has worked for a well-known tech company for a couple of years as an individual contributor. Adam's peers are moving into the first level of people management without him.
Adam believes he's stuck because:
I've been spending time at the dog park. My six-month-old puppy, Clicquot, loves to chase and be chased by other dogs, and my 9-year-old dog, Gatsby, isn't interested. So at the park, Clicquot runs and runs while Gatsby catches the frisbee over and over and over.
