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Hello, I'm David Henson and I serve as Campus CIO for Bolden Networks for Higher Education. Welcome to Control Alt Lead. One of the first topics I cover with mentees, especially those that are transitioned to a new role, is that they must begin to internalize this fact. That which got them there isn't usually what will keep them there. This is especially true for those transitioning from roles where they were expected largely to be operational and hands on, but are now in a leadership position where their skills are needed to be more strategic rather than tactical. Apart from this jarring new reality is the sudden realization that many of one's collegial relationships have fundamentally changed. Your friends are now your direct reports, or a former friendly peer now has unexpectedly become a frenemy. When the heck did that happen? In fact, moving from peer to leader is one of the trickiest transitions a professional must master, and almost universally experienced by anyone making forward progress in their professional journey. I'll have more to say on that in a future episode. But and in addition to all of the foregoing, there's also this uneasy, unbidden feeling that suddenly creeps within you when you're moving into this new role. A feeling like you don't belong there, that you're a fake, a phony. And very soon everyone will know it. Congratulations, you've just experienced Imposter Syndrome. Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling of self doubt or inadequacy. Despite evident success and external validation, it often leads individuals to believe that they're not as competent as others perceive them to be, fearing that they will soon be exposed as a fraud. This is very common among high achievers, especially when stepping into a new role or expanded professional role. I found that the people I think have it most together, those who always seem to be at the top of their game, are the ones that usually feel that they are the imposters the most. Conversely, I've also found that there are a great many folks who don't feel it at all, but are in dire need of a very brutal reality check of exactly how much they have yet to learn. But I'll also save that discussion, that of the Dunning Kruger effect, for another future therapy session. Although I've rarely been personally accused of having a deficit of confidence, I definitely fallen prey to imposter syndrome myself several times during my professional career. Probably the last time I felt it the most, most acutely anyway, was when I first became a CIO at Hendricks College in Conway, Arkansas. At the time I was nearly 50 years old, had a successful career as a software developer and a business owner. Higher education, however, was a totally different creature to me. I was certainly not an academic. I barely had an inkling of what shared governance was all about and was completely clueless to the shibboleths and power dynamics between faculty and staff, between leadership and trustees. It was quite honestly like I had to learn an entirely different language for achieving shared goals and outcomes, leading through influence rather than dictate, and operating at academic speed rather than at Internet speed. I found leading an area inside of a college to be a much different proposition than solely running an entire software development company. It was both a challenge and a very rude reminder that we all have a lot to learn about all the things that we know absolutely nothing about. Now, fortunately for me, Hendricks was and is a very caring scholarly community, and I was able to quickly learn to apply all of my accrued management insights and wisdom in a way that was, if not always, within the absolute letter of shared governance was certainly in the spirit of what it meant to be a thoughtful, collaborative and collegial member of a college leadership team. Well, what then were some of the methods that I was able to leverage to embrace this feeling of inadequacy, to power through it and become the higher education leader that everyone already assumed me to be, though it took me quite some time to believe it myself? Well, first I acknowledged and I normalized my feeling of inadequacy. I learned to recognize that imposter syndrome is common, especially in career transitions. Even top executives experience it understand that growth naturally brings discomfort, and feeling stretched is a sign of progress, not failure. Next, I had to reframe my thinking. I shifted my mindset from I don't belong here to I'm learning and evolving. Instead of viewing unfamiliar challenges as a proof of my inadequacy, I began to see them as opportunities to develop new skills. I leaned into competence and preparation. This was perhaps my biggest insight. I built confidence by deepening my knowledge and refining my skill sets. I started simply by breaking down my new responsibilities into manageable steps, and I tackled them systematically, taking on first what was right in front of me. I then sought mentorship and support. Along I found several mentors who walked on a similar path and several whose experiences were entirely foreign to my own. Their perspectives reassured me that my experiences were quite normal. I also recommend engaging professional networks or communities where people share their own leadership journeys. And if no such communities exist where you are, then go out and create one blooming where you're planted. I created a Geek Breakfast chapter that met monthly made up of local like minded technologists that continue to meet to this very day. Though I've gone from Hendrix now for well over a decade, I also kept track of my achievements. I journaled through my wins, through positive feedback received and any accomplishments I attained. And I referred to that list whenever self doubt crept in. Tracking your progress is a great way to measure how much you've grown, how far you've come, and it's a needed sanity check to understand where you need to keep continue growing. But mostly I faked it. Until I make it Confidence follows action. I simply mimicked and adopted the behaviors, habits, and mindsets of several someones who already embodied the role that I wanted to fill. Until finally one day I actually did. So it's up to you to speak up in meetings to take on leadership opportunities that stretch you well outside of your comfort zone, own your contributions, and always raise your hand. Finally, I went easy on myself because nobody's perfect and mistakes are a necessary part of growth. I I came to recognize that I was chosen for my role for a reason, and I finally trusted that others saw my potential, even and especially when I doubted it myself. Imposter syndrome doesn't mean that you're not qualified. It means that you care about doing your absolute best. Because true confidence comes from acting, embracing growth, and giving yourself permission to own your success. And there's no faking that. Thanks for listening and I'll see you soon.