Navigating Impostor Syndrome for women engineers
Originally published on November 12 2019 on LinkedIn
When I designed my session for the Society of Women of Engineers Conference, it was my intent to teach, inspire, and connect with an audience very near and dear to my heart, women engineers on the topic of impostor syndrome, which is another term for self doubt, fear of failure, and the voice of the inner critic, among others.
I explained how my experiences as a change agent and a woman of color in leadership involved countless experiences where I doubted myself, even though I am a confident and highly capable woman!
Being a product of different cultures, particularly Asian, means I have had to navigate a complex combination of belief systems that have made it even harder to find belonging and success in an environment where most people don’t think or look like me. I also shared how impostor syndrome manifests as creative blocks that hinder innovation, and shut down the diverse voices of change, as they had for me at Boeing.
The talk was a hit and delivered to a packed out room of 200 people. I focused on weaving together powerful stories, experiences, and supporting theory from the world of organizational behavior and psychology to deliver as much heartfelt learning as I could into one hour.
We danced, played, and were moved by one another. Many women came up to me and emailed me after and shared their stories.
There was the Stanford graduate who said when she entered the session she considered herself immune from impostor syndrome, but realized how much self doubt she has been navigating as she applies for jobs, and cried as I explained to her how to cultivate kindness and confidence for herself.
There was the Environmental engineer passionate about water conservation who recently got laid off and was navigating a tough time of self confidence. We chatted about how to learn from and move forward from “failure”, and the why and how of asking for feedback.
There was the Indian woman who told me how lucky I was to be raised in the UK, as the gender belief systems in India heavily constrain women from showing up with their full confidence and power, and her own commitment to unlearning what didn’t serve her.
Here are some nuggets of the emails I received after:
“ it was one of the most eye-opening presentations I listened to during SWE and had to thank you”
“Thank you for being an inspiration to young girls like me, and for speaking up about taboo topics for women who otherwise scrutinize themselves at the first sign of failure.”
“ loved the little dance party we shared. You rock!”
“Thank you for a great presentation! “
“I was moved by your talk at SWE regarding navigating imposter syndrome”
“I just wanted to say that you for such a wonderful event. I really hope to take some of the things you demonstrated back to my team to better understand the differences in each of us.”
I understand that how I show up as a public speaker is with fierce authenticity. Its important to me that my audience know I speak from my heart and my mind as a generalist, a scientist and a creative. I am empowered to share stories that I know people need to hear, with vulnerability and courage.
