Ep. 7 - Impostor Syndrome: What If Self-Doubt Isn't The Problem?

What if self-doubt isn't always something we need to overcome? Impostor syndrome is usually framed as a confidence problem: something to conquer so we can finally believe in ourselves and move forward. But what if some amount of doubt can actually make us better learners, encourage us to prepare more thoughtfully, and remind us to ask for help when we don't know what we don't know? In this episode of The Practice Ground, Ken and Kari explore a different way of thinking about impostor syndrome, inspired in part by Adam Grant's Think Again. They unpack the difference between confidence and competence, Grant's idea of confident humility, and why the goal may not be eliminating self-doubt at all. Through stories ranging from Ken's own experiences with impostor syndrome to Reese Witherspoon's preparation for Walk the Line and Halla Tómasdóttir's practice of befriending her impostor thoughts, they explore a more useful question: What if doubt isn't always a signal to stop — but sometimes a signal that we're stretching into something we haven't learned how to do yet? What you’ll hear inside the episode: Adam Grant’s contrast between the “impostor” and the “armchair quarterback” — and what it reveals about the sometimes surprising relationship between confidence and competence  how Grant’s concept of confident humility offers another possibility: enough confidence to move forward paired with enough humility to recognize what we still have to learn  how to get curious about what impostor feelings might actually be telling us rather than automatically believing or dismissing them why preparation, practice, and experience can give us evidence we may not be able to think ourselves into beforehand what Reese Witherspoon’s experience preparing for Walk the Line can teach us about doing something before we feel confident we can why comparing our beginning to someone else’s expertise can distort the way we assess our own capability Halla Tómasdóttir’s practice of befriending her impostor thoughts rather than waiting for them to disappear how self-doubt can sometimes point toward a growth edge rather than a reason to turn back why courage may need to come before confidence Referenced in the episode: Book | Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant Book | The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin Book | The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers' Guide To Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Podcast | ReThinking with Adam Grant | Reese Witherspoon on Turning Impostor Syndrome Into Confidence (aired October 25, 2022) Podcast | ReThinking with Adam Grant | Befriending Your Impostor Syndrome with Iceland's President Halla Tómasdóttir (aired December 17, 2024) ----- Ken Li is a confidence coach. Connect with Ken on LinkedIn, where he regularly shares mindset tools, resources, and strategies to help professionals who second-guess themselves feel as confident inside as they look. Kari Watterson is a mindset and habits coach. Connect with Kari on Instagram (@theadhdhabittrainer). where she shares her ongoing series, The Habit Training Diaries, or visit her website at KariWatterson.com.