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Do You Feel like a Fraud in the Workplace?

You’re not alone.

I speak to a lot of women in my line of work – be it women at different levels in their career or those from different cultures and nationalities. I have come to the realisation that regardless of where you are from or what kind of role you have, the feeling that you’re a fraud is rampant across women. Ironically, it seems that the more successful a woman is, the more she feels this way.

Imposter syndrome is real, and it can creep up on you at any point in your career. That shrinking feeling while sitting in an important meeting where everyone is speaking with conviction can make you feel like you don’t deserve your role. ‘What am I doing here in this meeting?’ ‘They’re soon going to learn that I don’t deserve this job.’ ‘I am just pretending, they will know.’ I remember when I first created WILD, a platform for women to come together. Having created a small network of 15 women and then losing my job and suffering a breakdown, my confidence was shattered, I had anxiety, and I was full of fear.

Eventually, however, I was able to rebuild my life from the inside out and now work with other women to do the same. What I have realised since then is that success is actually an inside job. To evolve and transform, we need to do the inner work. This is a combination of healing the wreckage of our past, facing fears head on, and breaking through limiting beliefs that hold us back. This is the bedrock to success. 

Imposter syndrome

Having worked on these issues myself, I set out to create WILD – Women in Leadership Deliver. I will never forget its first event back in July 2018. I was hounded by an incessant voice. ‘Who are you to do this? Who are you to stand and feel that you can inspire other women?’ Having discussed this feeling with my own coach, he quickly reminded me, “Emma, you’re someone who has already built a very successful network and been through so much. Just be you, stay true, and share your story.”

And that’s exactly what I did.

I was well within my rights and fully qualified to be standing there, telling my journey of transformation. Yet, that nagging voice, the all-pervasive inner critic sat on my shoulder telling me that I am an imposter and had no place to be there. You would think that a female CEO – mind you, only a mere 3% of CEOs are women – would have it all figured out and wouldn’t feel anything of this sort. Yet, I had a client once who was a CEO and came to me with issues of feeling like a fraud. Being the leader of a business meant that she had no one to confide in and share her feelings. After all, she’s who the whole company looks up to. The effects of this were damaging.

The woman felt an overriding sense of guilt and shame in addition to feeling like an imposter. After working closely together, we got to the root cause of some of the issues, one being something I in fact had faced – being left out of a group at school and then feeling not good enough. As an advocate for gender equality, I often get asked what holds women back the most and my answer is always ourselves! I mean, it’s one thing playing the blame game (that the company we work for doesn’t value women or offer an inclusive culture), but when it comes down to it, what are you doing about you? How are you dealing with those feelings of not being good enough or feeling like a fraud? 

Female Jobs In Dubai

I spoke to a woman the other day. She was a senior leader for an engineering company, and clearly intelligent and qualified at her job. She explained that she is the only woman there and gets scared to speak up or voice her ideas as, deep down, she feels that her contribution is not valid. I told her she needs to understand that she wouldn’t be in that role and have a seat at the table if she wasn’t good enough or qualified. However, if she doesn’t start speaking up, she could easily lose her seat at the table. It’s time to learn how to speak up and with conviction when you do.

Here are three powerful tips to stop feeling like a fraud:

  1. Trust Your Skills: Have confidence in the fact that you’re in the role you are in because you are worthy of being there. You wouldn’t have gotten the job in the first place if you weren’t, therefore, know you deserve to take up space.
  2. Believe in You: Cultivating a positive mindset and changing negative self-talk is crucial in overcoming imposter syndrome. At any given moment, you have the choice to change your thoughts. Pivot from negative self-talk to new empowering thoughts such as, ‘I’ve got this!’
  3. Hone Your Craft: Knowing your subject matter inside out will automatically feed you confidence. You become the go-to person at your workplace. This will add to your credibility and make you feel your ideas and contributions are valid.

One last thing:

Remember, even though you may feel like a fraud on the inside, you can still perform well! 

Emma Burdett is the Founder of WILD (Women in Leadership Deliver) network, keynote speaker, and transformational coach. For more of Emma’s invaluable tips on how to get YOU set up for success and beyond in 2022, check out ‘Uncompromised Life! Mind, Body & You’, an event taking place on January 26, 2022, at 25 Hour Hotel from 8:30am to 10:30am. Register here.

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strong woman

50 Empowerment Quotes for Women

Empowerment is a choice.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed or disheartened by the challenges we face in the world. But it’s important to remember that we all have the power to make a difference, starting with ourselves. Empowerment means taking control of your own life and making choices that are right for you, regardless of what others may think. It also means taking care of yourself and valuing your own needs.

And sometimes, we all need a little extra motivation to keep going. That’s where empowering quotes can come in handy. These words of wisdom can serve as a reminder that we have the strength and resilience to overcome any obstacle. Whether you’re feeling down or just need a boost of inspiration, these words can help remind you of your own inner power and potential. So don’t let the world get you down – take control of your own life and start empowering yourself today!

Let these 50 quotes unleash the power inside you and help you take control of your own life:

quote
  1. “Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland
  2. “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Jane Goodall
  3. “You need to find the power within to make things happen for yourself. When you realise this, you are unstoppable.” – Christina Aguilera
  4. “We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already.” – J.K. Rowling
  5. “This is your moment. Own it.” – Oprah Winfrey
  6. “Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it with use.” – Ruth Gordon
  7. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” – Oprah Winfrey
  8. “The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Francis Phillip Wernig
  9. “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” – Tina Fey
  10. “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King
quote
  1. “There are two ways of spreading light. To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” – Edith Wharton
  2. “Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. Keep fighting for your dreams.” – Gabby Douglas
  3. “A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman.” – Melinda Gates
  4. “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” – Steve Maraboli
  5. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” – Coco Channel
  6. “Nothing liberates our greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve.”– Marianne Williamson
  7. “Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.” – Roy T. Bennett
  8. “It’s possible to climb to the top without stomping on other people.” – Taylor Swift
  9. “A feminist is anyone who recognises the equality and full humanity of women and men.” – Gloria Steinem
  10. “Everything is within your power, and your power is within you.” – Janice Trachtman
quote
  1. “Never let anyone try and make you into something that you’re not. Remember what it is that you want, and always stay strong in that.” Abigail Breslin
  2. “No woman should be told she can’t make decisions about her own body. When women’s rights are under attack, we fight back.” – Kamala Harris
  3. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” – Ella Fitzgerald
  4. “Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.” – Bethany Hamilton
  5. “Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.” – Anne Lamott
  6. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
  7. “Life has got all those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.” – Nicole Kidman
  8. “The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” – Barbara Corcoran
  9. “You deserve to be here. You deserve to exist. You deserve to take up space in this world of men.” – Mackenzi Lee
  10. “Power is not given to you. You have to take it.” – Beyonce
quote
  1. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt
  2. “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!” – Dolly Parton
  3. “A smile is the best makeup; a girl can wear.” – Marilyn Monroe
  4. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” Nora Ephron
  5. “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” – Rumi 
  6. “You have what it takes to be a victorious, independent, fearless woman.” ­– Tyra Banks
  7. “If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” – Erica Jong
  8. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas A. Edison
  9. “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” – Julia Child
  10. “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” – Maya Angelou
quote
  1. “Dreams are made of your potential.” – Lilly Singh
  2. “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women.” Maya Angelou 
  3. “Grow through what you go through.” – Anonymous
  4. “Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion that you want, and to do what makes you happy. That’s my life motto.” – Demi Lovato
  5. “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” – Serena Williams 
  6. “The price we pay for being ourselves is worth it.” – Eartha Kitt
  7. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
  8. “I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.” Emma Stone
  9. “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
  10. “The smiling face of every little girl is the signature of God’s presence.” – Amit Ray
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