Empowering Women in the Workplace: Strategies for Building Confidence and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

As women, we face numerous societal pressures that confine us to restrictive roles, draining our true selves and disconnecting us from our authenticity. We are bombarded with contradictory expectations, arbitrary rules, and limitations that can cause us to shrink and dim our light. This is especially true for career-focused women, who may encounter additional challenges depending on their industry and work environment.

But what if we could show up in our daily lives radiating confidence? What if we could let go of the "fake it till we make it" mentality and genuinely embody effortless confidence? How would it feel in our bodies, minds, and spirits? In this article, we will explore ways to tap into our inner lioness, allowing us to exude confidence in the workplace and beyond and break free from the chains and distress of imposter syndrome.

Get Curious and Embrace Your Shadows

It's super important to empower women in the workplace by giving them strategies to boost their confidence and conquer imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you constantly feel like you're not good enough, even though you've got plenty of evidence that proves otherwise. It's something that a lot of women go through, doubting their own abilities and feeling like they don't fit in when it comes to positions of power or leadership. By understanding that imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon and that many successful individuals experience it, women can start to challenge their negative self-perceptions. Sometimes, our imposter syndrome is a protection mechanism that's developed into a false identity that we learn to live our lives behind. This completely derails our internal compass, making us susceptible to external influences and enacting behaviors from a place of people-pleasing and assuming how the world wants us to show up. We can begin to overcome inauthenticity by accessing uncomfortable emotions and owning them. Unfortunately, we live in a world where women are shamed for their sensitivities and emotions, and as a result, we suppress them, which can cause physical and emotional stress and illness. Rather than ignoring or denying feelings of irritability, annoyance, anger, or rage…basically, any emotion that you feel guilty or shameful expressing, embrace it and let it be an indicator that there's something present that's of importance to you. Getting to the root of these challenging feelings can be the key to unlocking a true aspect of your identity. There are tons of healthy ways to express and release these emotions: rage rooms, screaming, journaling all the things you dare not say aloud and burning them, exercise, or even meditation. Pick what resonates with your spirit and commit to showing up for yourself.

Honor Your Experience and Elevate Where it Counts

When your imposter syndrome rears its ugly head, falling back on your experience will ground you into reality. Oftentimes, we forget that our life experience is equally as valuable as merits and accolades. All you've experienced is evidence that you deserve to be where you are and qualifies you to fulfill your work. So act like you deserve to be there because if you didn't belong, you wouldn't be, and remember, if you're ever uncertain about your belonging, you first belong to yourself! 

Embrace the mantra 'My experience is evidence' when you're feeling like your efforts are not enough, and repeat it in the mirror until it reverberates in the depths of your being. A more practical way to boost your confidence is by building upon your current experience so you feel even more secure in your skillsets. This will look different for everyone. Perhaps it's booking a solo trip out of the country or committing to an exercise challenge; take some time to reflect on where your insecurities are being triggered. Don't be afraid to brush up on your craft or keep updated with industry advancements to stay ahead in your career, which will ultimately ease self-doubt. The growth process is meant to test your faith and commitment. Along the way, you will encounter slips and sometimes surges, but the moment you can embrace failure as a learning opportunity, you will be able to reframe any setbacks as stepping stones to growth and resilience. Overcoming the fear of making mistakes and taking calculated risks allows you to navigate your professional journeys with confidence.

Beginner's Spirit and Opening up to Gratitude

The biggest takeaway I want to leave you with is that experiencing imposter syndrome or letting our insecurities take over from time to time is normal and part of the human experience! Especially for women who are cyclical beings governed by the ebbs and flows of our unique and beautiful biology. It's not just you; no one knows what they're doing all the time, and we're all dealing with some level of uncertainty. We can always lean back on our experience, but there will be times when we are beginners, and that's a wonderful opportunity to embrace gratitude for where we're at. Walk into spaces with a learner's posture and mentality, lean into the gratitude that you have for all that you're going to learn, and remember that you also have something to give to the people in the room that they didn't know they needed and vice versa. 

We hold on to all these myths that we repeatedly tell ourselves that create self-doubt. Rather than being intimidated by whose in the room, I encourage you to remember that we are all unique and have something special to offer. So, there's something special about you that nobody else has. In simply being you, people will feel a magnetic pull toward you, and in return, you will bring value to the space in unexpected ways. Try your best to extend self-grace and compassion by challenging your inner critic, and start taking action to align with your new positive thoughts. Don't miss out on special opportunities and dare to dream despite any fear of failure. Grab faith. You may not know why you're in the room, but there is a reason WHY. There's something for you to learn or something for you to give, so anchor yourself in the potential for the lesson to reveal itself and know that any discomfort or unworthiness you're experiencing is merely intel and likely a suppressed desire. Don't be discouraged, you are exactly where you're meant to be!