The Imposter Phenomenon with Dr. Kate Atkins

In this clip from Leadership Bites with Guy Bloom, we tackle a question that many leaders and professionals struggle with: what is the difference between normal self-doubt and the Imposter Phenomenon?

Self-doubt is natural. When you take on a new role, step into a bigger team, or move into an unfamiliar organisation, it’s reasonable to feel uncertain. In fact, Kate Atkin explains why this kind of doubt is often healthy it stops us from drifting into arrogance or complacency. It’s a signal that you are learning, stretching, and growing.

But there is another kind of doubt the kind that doesn’t fade even when the evidence is there. When you’ve already proven yourself in multiple leadership roles, when colleagues recognise your ability, when your results speak for themselves yet you still feel like you don’t belong or aren’t good enough that’s when we cross into imposter-style self-doubt.

In this short conversation, Guy and Kate explore:

Why healthy self-doubt can actually strengthen leaders
How to tell when self-doubt has tipped into the imposter phenomenon
Why evidence and external feedback often aren’t enough to shift internal beliefs
The risks of letting imposter feelings linger unchecked
What leaders can do to recognise and address these feelings in themselves and their teams

Kate Atkin is a speaker, facilitator, researcher, and author of The Imposter Phenomenon: Why You Feel Like a Fraud and What to Do About It. She has spent over two decades helping individuals and organisations understand the roots of self-doubt and the strategies that help people grow through it.

👉 Watch the full episode of Leadership Bites with Kate Atkin here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1029433/ep...
👉 Learn more about Kate’s work: https://kateatkin.com
👉 Get her book The Imposter Phenomenon on Amazon

If you’ve ever questioned whether your doubt is normal, or whether you might be facing imposter feelings, this conversation will give you clarity and practical insight.

🔔 Subscribe to Leadership Bites for more interviews and clips with leaders, authors, and experts on confidence, culture, and what it takes to lead well today.