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Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
‘Imposter Syndrome': 4 Ways To Turn It Into A Career Asset
A body of literature focuses on how to tackle and overcome imposter syndrome, but now experts are ... More showing how you can harness this feeling into boosting your job performance. On a cold, January day, Margo was having an anxiety attack in my office, afraid she would fail in the highly competitive real estate job she had worked day and night for several years. The paradox was she had just received an award and a bonus for top million-dollar salesperson in her company. Yet, she believed it was only a matter of time before her incompetence was revealed and she would lose her job. Margo was suffering from imposter syndrome--the chronic fear of being exposed as a fraud and that others think you're more capable and competent than you are. 'At first, I felt good about it," Margo told me, 'but that only lasted for about twenty minutes. Then I realized it was a fluke, and I'll never be able to pull it off again. I feel like I've pulled the wool over everybody's eyes.' Margo isn't alone, and neither are you if you feel like an imposter. Some of the most accomplished personalities on the planet have struggled with self-doubt. Journalist Jeff Jarvis said, 'Like most other creatives, I struggle with self-sabotage, self-doubt and feeling like an impostor more often than not.' Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global, has written about her experience with imposter syndrome."I was convinced that at any moment, the jig would be up, and I would be unmasked as a fraud," she remarks. "It didn't matter how much success I had achieved or how much positive feedback I received--the feeling persisted." And when Jane Fonda won her second Oscar, she told a talk show host she felt like a phony and feared the Academy would find out how talent-less she was and take the award back. Ryne Sherman of Hogan Assessments told me that approximately 75 to 85% of working adults report feelings of imposter syndrome. Even American author and poet Maya Angelou lamented,'I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out.' Other well-known people like actor Tom Hanks and former First Lady Michelle Obama have also spoken publicly about feeling like an impostor. Imposter syndrome seems to afflict high-performing people and women more than men. Most people who feel like imposters report a nagging voice in their heads that clouds their vision from internalizing success, afraid they might slack off and ultimately flop. So the voice says you have to work harder. Distorted thoughts can make you feel like an impostor, as if you've been able to fool people that you're competent, even though you're not convinced yourself. You think if they knew the truth, you'd be discovered for the fake you are. Most people think of imposter syndrome as a problem to fix, and there's a body of literature on how to overcome or tackle imposter syndrome. But now experts are taking a second look, making a turnaround after research shows that it can be a competitive advantage, especially in leadership roles. Recently, in her Yale commencement address, Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, opened up about experiencing imposter syndrome—even while leading a nation through crisis. Her message was powerful: traits like self-doubt and sensitivity, often perceived as weaknesses, can be essential leadership strengths. 'Imposter syndrome is frequently associated with outcomes most people view as negative: low self-esteem, indecisiveness and fear,' according to Sherman, but he suggests that there are also four surprisingly positive benefits of experiencing imposter thoughts: 1. If you have thoughts of self-doubt or inadequacy, you're more likely to show up as more motivated and having a stronger work ethic than your peers. 'The psychodynamic theorist Alfred Adler noted that fear of failure significantly impacts an individual's motivation, though, as a therapist Adler tried to help his patients overcome fear of failure by developing self-worth,' he explains. 2. If you experience imposter syndrome, you're also likely to become more other-focused versus self-focused. 'When we doubt ourselves, we look to others for feedback about our performance and reassurance,' he points out. 'Such other-focus creates stronger awareness of the reputation we are creating in the eyes of others, rather than on our own self-proclaimed (and potentially wrong) identity." 3. Imposter syndrome is linked to increased interpersonal skill. 'Listening and being attuned to others' emotions is a quintessential feature of emotional intelligence and empathy,' Sherman states. 'Thus, those with imposter syndrome are often skilled at building relationships.' 4. If you have imposter syndrome, you're far less likely to fall into the traps of arrogance and overconfidence. Sherman emphasizes that leaders who are overconfident in their abilities often take on more than can be accomplished, fail to deliver on expectations, take on unnecessary risks and place the blame for failure on others. "Leaders who have some degree of self-doubt are more likely to be viewed as humble and responsible, even if their lack of self-confidence hampers their potential." Michael Sanger, director of assessment solutions for Leadership Development Worldwide at Hogan Assessments declares that imposter syndrome can actually improve your performance, if you're willing to re-frame your perspective. 'Imposter syndrome often signals your willingness to push boundaries because you're stretching yourself outside your comfort zone, so to try to appreciate this as your natural response,' he advises. Positive affirmations are antidotes to imposter syndrome that act as 'cognitive expanders' that help you see the truth about yourself and fuel your performance. They reduce your brain's tunnel vision, broadening your perspective so you can step back from a career challenge, see the big picture of your accomplishments and brainstorm a wide range of possibilities, solutions and opportunities. Another antidote, self-compassion, fuels your job performance and achievement and offsets the self-judgment of the imposter syndrome thoughts. When you're kind toward yourself and accept career letdowns with compassion, you deal only with the stressful experience, not the added negative feelings from your self-judgment that says you're a fraud.
Forbes
18-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Why Today's Leaders Must Prioritize Mental Health—Theirs And Yours
What should companies do to improve their employees' mental health? And why will that improve their company's productivity? In the U.S., stress-related absenteeism attributed to loneliness costs employers an estimated $154 billion annually. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-third of adults report feeling lonely. There is an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S., and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a new advisory from the Surgeon General. Companies Should Help Employees Reduce Stress and Eliminate Burnout Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global Founder Thrive Global Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post co-founder, author of 15 books, on Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people and Forbes Most Powerful Women list, founded Thrive Global in 2016. It helps companies reduce stress and improve productivity through wellness strategies. Its goal is to provide a wake-up call to change the way we work and live. Arianna says, 'Creating the culture of burnout is opposite to creating a culture of sustainable creativity. This is something that needs to be taught in business schools.' She explains, 'We're working to change the culture of companies and society at large, because we are all facing this delusion that burnout is the price you must pay for success. If you take care of your mind, you take care of the world.' The Importance of Creating Healthy Boundaries FinTech growth strategist Samantha Paxson is the founder and lead investor of Power & Light Collaborative. She says the most powerful thing a leader can do today is model "wholeness"— not just performance. 'Workers today are struggling with burnout, navigating complexity, and trying to balance hyper-connectivity with mental well-being." Samantha explains, " I have learned that healthy boundaries are guardians of our wholeness. Far from being barriers to connection, boundaries enable deeper, more sustainable relationships by clearly communicating our needs and limits.' Ending the Epidemic of Loneliness Jessica Zemple is the founder of Life Shucker and producer of Cracked – A short documentary breaking stigmas around mental health. She told me, 'One of the most common challenges leaders bring to me is loneliness. Despite being surrounded by people, many feel deeply isolated. They tell me they can't be vulnerable with their teams, afraid that showing emotion or uncertainty will be seen as weakness. Over time, this disconnect strips away their humanity. They begin to operate more like robots than real people.' Jessica adds, 'The truth is, leadership doesn't require perfection—it requires connection. And when we create space to lead with both courage and vulnerability, we don't just become better leaders—we become more whole humans.' Jessica explained, 'We are facing a connection crisis. We are disconnected from nature, each other, and ourselves. How can we truly be happy without connection? Because when we remember how to really connect — we don't just survive…We come alive.' The Importance of Protecting Your Mental Health In talks around the country, Jessica tells people, 'Your mental health is the most precious wealth you can have. Protect it like it is. Say no. Set boundaries. Ask for help. Slow down. Reconnect. When we're constantly busy, we end up living life by default —reacting to what comes our way — instead of living by design, guided by intention and meaning. No wonder so many people feel unfulfilled. It is time to slow down to truly hear yourself and go in that direction.' Best Practices For All Companies These are some of the solutions for companies to implement that catalysts for change in this arena like Arianna, Samantha, and Jessica find are extremely helpful: Demonstrate healthy behaviors from the top. Respect boundaries with no e-mail, slack messages, or texts outside of business hours unless truly urgent. Take mental health days and talk about it. Be vulnerable. Without oversharing, speak about your own challenges or growth. Design for connection by rethinking meetings, team events, and physical space to facilitate authentic connection. Promote No Meeting Days to give people space to think and to be. Encourage walking meetings, lunch away from the desk, and taking a real vacation. Praise presence, not just performance. Reinforce that asking for help is a strength, as opposed to a weakness. Lead with humility. It's important for leadership to demonstrate to others that they value mental health; that they want to create a space where everyone feels safe expressing vulnerability; and that they want their employees to know they are valued. People can be lonely even if they are busy. Secure, confident, respected, appreciated employees are not only happier people, they are also more productive.
Fast Company
11-05-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
Arianna Huffington's advice for unlocking your creative potential
Arianna Huffington, author, entrepreneur, and founder of The Huffington Post believes in one key to success above all else: getting enough sleep. 'When I get eight hours, I feel ready to handle anything during the day without stress and without paying a heavy price in terms of my own health and my own mental well-being,' Huffington, the author of The Sleep Revolution, told NBC. Here's how sleep can lead to greater success and happiness for you: Huffington's Personal Journey With Sleep Back in 2007, Huffington was constantly sacrificing sleep to work 18-hour days. Then, one morning, she woke up on the floor of her home office in a pool of her own blood. She'd passed out from exhaustion, breaking her cheekbone when she fell. It was a pivotal moment that reshaped her views on success and well-being. Rather than measuring success in just money or power, Huffington now advocates for a ' third metric ' of success, which includes well-being, wisdom, and giving back. She's since written two books on the subjects and founded a new company, Thrive Global, which helps employers improve their workers' lives. Why is Sleep Essential for Success? In her viral TED talk, Huffington discussed how sleep allows us to shut down our engines, refresh our brains, and go into every day operating at peak performance, which is foundational for productivity, creativity, and decision-making. Science backs Huffington's views. For example, one study showed that new neural connections—the pathways between neurons that allow our brains to function—are formed while sleeping. It also showed better performance outcomes from sleeping and training together rather than training more in place of sleep. Studies have also linked inadequate sleep (whether that's extreme deprivation over a short period or slight deprivation over the long term) to worse reasoning, decision-making, and driving abilities, as well as mood swings, depression, and physical ailments like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Arianna Huffington's Top Tips for Better Sleep Alongside championing the importance of sleep, Huffington has put out tons of advice on how to get enough of it through The Sleep Revolution and her ' Sleep Revolution Manifesto.' 1. Create a bedtime ritual Doing the same routine before bed each night will help signal to your body and brain that it's almost time to sleep. Adding relaxing activities like a hot bath, a nice cup of decaffeinated tea, a good book, or a mediation session, will help even more. 2. Make your bedroom an ideal sleep space Huffington advocates for keeping your bedroom cool (between 60 and 67 degrees), dark, and quiet. If possible, keep your smartphone out of your bedroom (or at least out of reach) and reserve the room for sex and sleeping only. 3. Avoid caffeine and electronic devices before bed Huffington recommends cutting off caffeine around 2 p.m. and any electronic devices around 30 minutes before you lay down for the night. If you read in bed, use a traditional paper book or an e-reader without backlighting. 4. Wear dedicated pajamas—not workout gear Wearing the same clothes to exercise and to sleep sends your body mixed signals. 5. Treat sleep as nonnegotiable Rather than sacrificing sleep to spend time on other activities like work, social engagements, or recreational activities, Huffington says we should be doing the opposite. Schedule your life around getting enough sleep in the same way you plan sleep around your work schedule. The Link Between Sleep, Happiness, and Mental Health 'All the things that make life much harder are aggravated when you're sleep-deprived,' Huffington said on The School of Greatness podcast. You're more likely to dwell on your failures, fears, and anxieties or feel irritable and stressed. By contrast, when you sleep enough, your brain gets the recovery time it needs, you're more clear-headed, emotionally level, and able to handle the challenges your job or life might throw at you. You also increase your daily opportunities to experience joy, which can improve your relationships and work performance. Over time, all of these factors reduce your stress, make you more productive, and help you avoid burnout. Debunking the Myths of Around Sleep Work culture has a terrible tendency to glorify sleep deprivation. There's the ' hustle mentality ' that says one should always be grinding. There's also the 'sleep deprivation one-upmanship' where people brag about how little sleep they get. 'Today, so many of us fall into the trap of sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity,' Huffington said. But in the U.S., inadequate sleep actually leads to 11 days of lost productivity per year per worker, collectively costing the U.S. economy more than $63 billion annually. Prioritizing sleep is often associated with laziness, but making sure you begin every day at your full potential is actually a strategy for long-term success.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Workplace Wellbeing: I tested three wellbeing apps to stay motivated in work
If you had walked into my office five minutes ago, you would have found me with my eyes closed, listening to a soft voice urging me to deepen my breath and quieten my mind. Come back later, and you could find me on the floor doing dead bug exercises. I'm not skiving. I'm following the latest trend in workplace wellbeing. Research, including a paper published by the University of Oxford Wellbeing Centre in 2024, has consistently found that employees in good physical and mental health are more engaged, motivated, and efficient. Findings like these are convincing organisations to invest in employee wellbeing apps. I've spent the past month trying three high-profile ones. The first is Headspace, which offers mindfulness and meditation exercises. It was founded in 2010 by a former Buddhist monk, Andy Puddicombe, and his business partner, Richard Pierson. An AI companion shows me around the platform and gives tips on getting started. I decide to begin with a stress management course. Every working day for the next 20 days, I listen to 10-minute sessions of simple meditation techniques, such as focusing my attention on my breath and letting go of expectations. I perform body scans, where I pause, breathe, and notice what's happening in my body. I eat more mindfully and do gentle yoga movements. And each time I complete a session, I am congratulated for taking time to unwind. The exercises and the praise I get for completing them give me a welcome boost in mood during my working day. I like Headspace's regular check-in feature, which asks you to consider how you're feeling. This has become a daily habit that helps me to identify and tackle niggly issues before they escalate in to serious problems. At times, notifications reminding me to complete my mindfulness tasks for that day annoyed me. I occasionally ignored them, because I was under pressure to meet a deadline. But on less busy days, I appreciated the nudge. All this Zen comes at a price. Individual users pay €57.99 for a yearly subscription, and there's a sliding scale for employers who want to offer the app to their employees. Depending on the number of employees in the organisation, it ranges from €39.50 to €50. Headspace also provides employee assistance programmes, coaching tools, and therapy services for an additional fee. Data is collected within the app, but users are advised that it is anonymised, before being compiled in to metrics that employers can use to understand and further support the wellness needs of their workforce. Mapping my progress The second platform I tried is Thrive Global. Founded by Arianna Huffington, a Greek-American author, businesswoman, and co-founder of the HuffPost news website, it describes itself as 'a behaviour change technology company with a mission to improve productivity and health outcomes, one micro step at a time'. Thrive is designed to be embedded in internal workflow channels, like Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Users can access it easily by clicking on an icon, rather than opening another application on their computer or mobile device. One of the first things users do when they sign up is set an intention. Thrive maps that intention across five core pillars: Sleep, food, movement, stress management, and connection. Then, it identifies a micro step you can take daily to bring you closer to achieving your goal. It also provides you with content relating to other activities you could do if you have the time and motivation to do so. Sharon Ní Chonchúir taking a break from work to do a quick workout in the sunshine. Picture: Richard Smallwood. As a journalist who spends most days sitting at a computer, I need to be more active, so I set that as my intention. Over the next few days, Thrive tells me to stand up and stretch between meetings, take walking meetings, when possible, and go for a walk at lunchtime. You might think these are simple things I could have thought of myself, but I'm more likely to do them when Thrive prompts me. One of Thrive's most popular features is Reset. This is a library of 60-second breathing exercises, stress-reducing sighs, and stretches set to calming music and scenes of natural beauty. (The platform also allows you to create videos, using your own chosen images.) These videos are designed to deactivate the stress response and restore a sense of calm and equilibrium throughout the day. I enjoy breathwork and mindfulness, so I loved them. Thrive doesn't disclose its pricing policy publicly because it deals directly with companies. But it insists it's competitive and willing to work with businesses to meet their needs and budgets. Regarding data collection, like Headspace, it also aggregates data, so employers can recognise trends across their organisation. Apps 'keep you on your toes' The final workplace wellbeing platform I try is an Irish one, called Saol. It was co-founded by former athlete Derval O'Rourke and her business partner, Greg O'Gorman, and is now managed exclusively by O'Gorman. The set-up is simple: I give them my email, create a password, download the app, and I'm good to go. The first thing I notice on the app is a tab listing upcoming live events. These include a question-and-answer session on finances and a mental health session on challenging negative thoughts. Everyone can attend, but you can catch the recordings in the on-demand section, if you miss these sessions. I'm most impressed by this on-demand section. It offers all sorts of fitness workouts, covering everything from strength and functional mobility to dance, Pilates, and yoga. I particularly liked the 15-minute workouts. Even someone as time-poor as me can usually fit that in to my working day. The on-demand section also has videos on topics such as breathwork, decluttering, nutrition, recipes, sleep, and more. The app currently focuses on fitness, nutrition, mental wellbeing, finances, personal development, work-life balance, and mindfulness. All of its content is developed and delivered by professionals experienced in their field. For example, cognitive behavioural therapist Emily Murphy was lined up to deliver the session on challenging negative thoughts. There are plans to grow Saol by adding more content, providing access to mental health counsellors, and building on its community component. Currently, this consists of chat functions, monthly challenges, and a book club, all of which allow people to interact with other users. Similar to Headspace, Saol's price depends on the number of employers or customers the platform will be offered to. If your company employs only 10 people, you pay the maximum €175, plus VAT, per employee, but if you're a large organisation of 100,000 people, you'll pay less than €2 per person. Similar to the other platforms, Saol takes confidentiality seriously. It records only its on-demand classes, talks, and workshops. But even when services like mental health counselling are introduced, all sensitive interactions will take place in person and away from the app and offline. Saol's fitness content stands out. Whenever I have a spare 15 minutes, I try to fit one of its workouts in to my day. My overall verdict on these platforms? They are based on simple wellness concepts we all know and understand, but we can be too lazy to put them in to practice. I can see how some people might experience the advice they dispense as hectoring, preaching, or yet another thing to fit in to an already busy day. But for the most part, I didn't have that experience. I found them to be more like a gentle tap on the shoulder, reminding me that I benefit from taking time to look after myself. Read More Workplace Wellbeing: How to cope with a narcissistic boss
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Selena Gomez's New Top 10 Hit Isn't Even A Single Yet
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's 'Younger and Hotter Than Me' debuts at No. 4 on two U.K. charts, ... More keeping momentum alive for I Said I Love You. Selena Gomez at the Music + Health Summit presented by Universal Music Group and Thrive Global at 1 Hotel on September 19, 2023 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images) The past few weeks have been massive for Selena Gomez. The pop star recently dropped I Said I Love You, a collaborative full-length with her fiancé, producer Benny Blanco. While the project is beginning to slip from some charts and many of its tracks are starting to cool, the lovebirds aren't done landing wins just yet. This frame, the pair collect another top 10 hit on several tallies in the U.K. thanks to a special reissue. 'Younger and Hotter Than Me' has emerged as one of the breakout tracks from I Said I Love You, just a short time after the set arrived – though it hasn't been positioned as a single just yet. The track opens at No. 4 on both the Official Physical Singles and Official Vinyl Singles charts in the U.K. this week. The tune was issued on vinyl and other physical formats recently, which gave Gomez's loyal fans a chance to snap up a collectible. 'Younger and Hotter Than Me' is now another top 10 success for Gomez in the U.K., while Blanco continues to build his chart résumé as an artist after years as a songwriter and producer. He's still catching up to her, of course, as Gomez has spent more time in the spotlight and has released more music under her own name. With this latest win, she's now earned six top 10 hits on the Official Vinyl Singles chart. She maintains her perfect track record, every tune of hers that's appeared on the ranking has reached the top tier. Her history on the Official Physical Singles chart is almost as strong. Gomez has now secured seven top 10 placements on that tally, though not every release has made it that far. Two of her entries have missed the region. 'Younger and Hotter Than Me' earns the third-highest debut on both U.K. tallies it reaches this frame. The only new releases that start higher? Doechii's 'Denial Is a River' launches at No. 1, while Jacob Alon's 'Liquid Gold 25' arrives at No. 2. At the same time, Chappell Roan's 'Good Luck, Babe!' leaps back into the top 10 on both charts, landing at No. 3. 'Younger and Hotter Than Me' is not Gomez's only hit on the U.K. rankings this week, though it is her most exciting. She keeps a total of five songs on at least one of the nation's charts. Three of those are from I Said I Love You, as 'Bluest Flame' and 'Sunset Blvd' are both still performing fairly well. Rounding out Gomez's presence on the U.K. charts this frame are a pair of older fan favorites. 'Bad Liar' and 'Fetish,' her collaboration with Gucci Mane, both return to the Official Physical Singles chart.
