Kind of a Wreck, Kind of a Leader

I’m a leader who struggles with imposter syndrome. And I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one. No matter how far I’ve come, there are moments when I get caught up in comparing myself to other leaders. Some seem further along in their journey. Maybe they were younger when they moved into leadership. Maybe they took advantage of opportunities I didn’t. Or maybe they were just in the right place at the right time.

Sometimes I wonder if those feelings would go away if I were further along in my own career. I’m not sure they would.

Every week, I pull a self-care card. It’s partly because they’re cute, partly because I love the little nuggets of wisdom they offer. Today’s card read: You’re on your own timeline. Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.

It hit me.

It’s so easy to get lost in the what-ifs and how far I wish I were. But what about celebrating how far I’ve come? We forget to pause and acknowledge the wins, big and small, especially when no one else is doing it for us.

Maybe that’s the reminder I needed today. That even if no one is cheering for us, we can cheer for ourselves. No one gets where they are without some hard work and determination.

And maybe that’s something I need to model more as a leader. Because if I can be proud of my own journey, I can help my team see the value in theirs too.