If you have ever felt incompetent in your work life, you’re not alone. Most working professionals admit to having experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. 

Imposter syndrome can give rise to feelings like:

  • “I’m not good enough at my job.”
  • “I’m only here because of luck/good timing.” 
  • “I’m not as qualified as they think.” 

These are just a few examples of the types of insecurities and self-doubts that professionals can face. And it can happen to anyone. Imposter syndrome doesn’t discriminate, and even business owners and leaders can have these thoughts and feelings. 

Over time, imposter syndrome can lead you to undervalue yourself and could eventually hold you back from shining in your work life. But there’s a way to turn this around. You can leverage these feelings of inadequacy and use them to fuel growth as an agency owner. Here’s how:

1. View Imposter Syndrome as a Sign of Growth

If you’re feeling like an imposter, you’re likely in a situation outside your comfort zone. Maybe you’re growing your agency at a rapid pace, maybe you’re expanding your team, or maybe you’re trying a new way of running your company. Either way, you’re taking a risk that might lead you to betterment, and that’s a win!

Once you start viewing imposter syndrome as a sign that you’re progressing, the self-doubts start turning into affirmations. So the next time you feel like you’re not qualified to take on this new project/role/method of working, just remind yourself that you’re pushing your own limits and moving towards succeeding as an agency owner. 

2. Find Ways to Improve

Sometimes feeling like an imposter can be helpful in understanding where you lack the precise skills that you desire to have. If you feel imposter syndrome cropping up in a particular part of your role as an agency owner, take note. 

Observe how you feel. Where do you feel the lack? Is it your ability to manage your company’s finances? Do you think you’re not good at marketing your services? Are you not getting enough clients? Are you taking your hand at digital marketing, and you feel like it isn’t landing?

Hone in on the aspects you think could be improved and make a plan to work on them. Start small. Just acknowledging the gaps is a big first step. 

3. Look Up Resources

Once you’ve made a plan to overcome what you think you lack, it’s time to put your ideas into action. 

Start finding resources that’ll help you grow. These could be books, videos, online articles, or even sessions with a professional business coach. 

For example, if you feel like you’re offering a great service but feel like an imposter because you’re not getting high-paying clients, you can look up resources on lead generation, finding and retaining clients, or even take a course on marketing yourself better. 

If your imposter syndrome stems from having too much on your plate, find tools that can help you get things done and reduce your workload. Maybe it’s a social media publishing tool, a content creation app, or marketing automation and CRM software. 

Once you have a few options lined up, you’ll begin to feel more in control of your professional life. It may not fix your imposter syndrome overnight, but it can be comforting to know that you’re working on improving yourself rather than simply living with the nagging thoughts that you’re not doing enough. 

4. Maintain an Accomplishment Journal

Sometimes it can be hard to recognize and honor our own accomplishments. That’s one of the biggest reasons why working professionals feel inadequate: they simply don’t observe and celebrate their wins. 

There’s an easy, low-cost, and super-effective way to change this: maintain an accomplishment journal. This can be a simple notebook or a fancy digital tool, whatever you prefer. 

Write down all your accomplishments as and when they happen or schedule a day in the week or month to note down all the milestones that you’ve achieved in the last few days or weeks. This will be your victory record. Every time you feel like an imposter, just whip open your notebook/digital file and bask in all the wins you’ve been scoring. 

Imposter Syndrome Can Help You Grow

While feeling like an imposter can make you feel stuck at times, there are ways to manage those feelings, and having these tools at your disposal can help you get out of a rut. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing your feelings, but keep in mind that leveraging your imposter syndrome can actually become the fuel to succeeding as an agency owner if you let it.