J.C. Lapierre
- J.C. Lapierre is the US chief strategy and communications officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
- She writes that her career wouldn't have been possible if she had given in to imposter syndrome.
- Lapierre offers advice like ask questions, and power pose when you feel like an imposter.
You know the feeling.
Your breathing gets a little shallow, your heart beats a little faster, your stomach begins to churn — and the panic sets in. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't belong here. Hellooo, impostor syndrome!
It flares up every time I take on a new role at PwC — I've had about five different careers within the firm so far — and if I'm being honest, it happens in many small moments in between these bigger ones, too.
In my 27 years at PwC where I currently serve as chief strategy and communications officer, I've built a career I never could have imagined. But that would not have been possible if I'd let my fear win, closing doors before I even knew I might want to knock on them.
Sometimes it's been difficult not to give into the instinct to flee to my comfort zone — I felt it the first day I walked into PwC.
It was a complete 180 from my previous job working in a restaurant. I had never had an internship, knew nothing about accounting (I'd never even done my own taxes!) and I didn't even know what the firm did. It was terrifying — the first of many times impostor syndrome has crashed the party during my career.
Here's how I've learned to cope with it:
1. Do your homework
That terrifying first day at PwC, I felt completely out of my depth. I had on the wrong clothes, I understood about every fifth word people said and I didn't even know the right questions to ask.
But I loved the people and the energy, and I wanted to stay, so I put in the work. Looking around me, most of my colleagues had studied business or accounting, and I was inspired to go to night school and eventually earn my MBA. As my knowledge and experience increased, so did my confidence.
I focused on what I knew how to do: learn and study. Now, reading and upskilling is the first thing I do when I feel that familiar fear creep up.
2. Ask questions like a toddler
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Studying and learning new skills takes a lot of time; asking questions is fast.
I know that when you're feeling like a fraud, it can be tempting to keep quiet when you don't know something. Don't! Constantly ask questions like a toddler learning about the world for the first time.
When I made the jump from HR to client service, it felt like all the things I needed to learn were flashing in front of me like a giant neon sign that everyone could see. So I shamelessly interviewed my colleagues — even those who techically reported to me—like an investigative journalist to soak up all their knowledge. "How do I create the right agenda for this meeting? What does this mean? Why are you doing it like that? Who is that person?"
Your questions are not a secret clue to your boss that you're unfit for the role; they're a sign that you're enthusiastic, curious and committed to growth.
3. Turn your fear into a strength
I meet with a lot of clients and their executive teams, and since gender equality is unfortunately not yet a given in the C-suite, I am often the only or one of a few women in the room. And too often, I have to fight harder than my male colleagues to be heard and take up space in the same way. As a result, my first instinct is to feel less than.
Each time, I have to turn that fear on its head and remind myself that the reverse is actually true: I am more than because I'm the only one and have a unique perspective to bring to the table.
Never lose sight of the fact that the situation that is causing you to feel like an impostor can also be one of your greatest assets and is an incredible opportunity — to share your unique experiences, learn, grow and show everyone what you're made of. Don't sell yourself short and miss out: the next time you feel impostor syndrome's crippling fear, reframe it in your brain and use it as fuel for your growth journey.
I can tell you from personal experience that walking out of a meeting where you spoke up but failed to carry your point always feels better than walking out of a meeting where you didn't summon the courage to speak up at all.
4. Power pose until you feel powerful
Fake it 'til you make it is a cliché for a reason — it can work.
Learning and building your skills is key, but it takes time, and your impostor syndrome is not patient. I act like I know what I'm doing and am meant to be there. Nine times out of ten, no one is any the wiser — because they're probably doing the same thing.
To this day, when preparing for a big meeting, I will ignore my heart pounding in my ears and the overwhelming instinct to run, and instead put on my highest heels, strike a power pose — and then put on a show.
Just a few weeks ago, before kicking off an important event where we introduce key stakeholders to our firm's strategy, I felt the familiar stomach churning and dry mouth as doubt crept in. I went to the restroom, shut the door on the world, gave myself a pep talk to remind me that I really did remember my speech, took a few deep breaths and struck my trusty Wonder Woman pose. It reset my confidence and got me stage-ready — and the event went off without a hitch.
5. Remember that you're in control
We have a saying at PwC: "control what you can control." We can't control when impostor syndrome strikes, but we can control how we respond to it.
I'm certain I'll find myself in many more situations where I'll feel completely out of my depth. But I'm also certain that if I take the steps above to control what I can, I'll manage to swim to the surface again.
After all, life is ultimately a leap of faith. What you need most of all to quiet your impostor syndrome is faith in yourself.
J.C. Lapierre is chief strategy and communications officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).