Hello beautiful soul
Let’s talk about that feeling.
The one that creeps in when you're in the room, at the table, in the spotlight — and a voice inside whispers:
“You don’t belong here.”
You start scanning the room for someone more qualified, more confident, more “leader-like.”
You wonder when they’ll realise you’re winging it. You work harder. You push through. You smile.
But the doubt doesn’t go away.
That feeling?
It has been "given" a name: "imposter syndrome".
And today, I want to tell you where it really comes from — and why it’s not your fault.
The term first emerged in 1978, when psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes studied high-achieving women — lawyers, academics, professionals — who, despite all their success, felt like frauds.
They couldn’t internalise their accomplishments.
They believed they’d just been lucky. That someone had overestimated their abilities. That at any moment, they’d be found out.
But here’s the part no one talks about:
They didn’t call it a syndrome.
They called it the Imposter Phenomenon — because they recognised this wasn’t a personal disorder, but a shared experience among women navigating systems that excluded them.
The word syndrome came later — and with it, a subtle message:
“YOU are the problem.”
But Clance and Imes weren’t pathologising women.
They were describing how it feels to succeed inside a world that constantly tells you you shouldn’t be there.
Because imposter "syndrome" doesn’t appear out of nowhere.
It thrives in environments where:
– You’re the only woman in the room
– Leadership traits are modelled on male behaviour
– Power is rewarded for dominance, not empathy
– Success is defined in ways that don’t reflect your values or experience
It feeds on isolation. On subtle exclusions. On decades of messages that say:
“Success looks like this. Confidence sounds like that. Leadership belongs to them.”
In that environment, of course you feel like an imposter.
But here’s the truth:
The system was never built for you.
Yes, you — the woman who’s questioning her worth, her place, her power in a world that was never designed to let her lead.
Ever wonder why you feel like you’re the problem?
– Burnout? They say it’s your “inability to manage stress.”
– Undervalued? They tell you to “speak up more.”
– Unseen? The answer is always, “try harder.”
The Matrix has you.
And it’s gaslighting you.
So let’s say it together:
YOU are not the problem.
YOU don’t need fixing.
YOU don’t need to be more like them.
The structure itself is broken. And no amount of leaning in will bend it in your favour.
But what if there’s another way?
What if leadership didn’t ask you to:
– Burn yourself out to prove your worth
– Mute your intuition to fit in
– Shrink yourself to make others comfortable
What if leadership meant power that’s yours?
– Rooted in intuition
– Energised by alignment
– Respected for what makes you extraordinary
This isn’t just a wish. It’s a choice.
That’s what Women Who Lead is about.
Not another programme telling you how to mould yourself to a broken model.
But a rebellion.
A remembering.
A rewriting of the rules — together.
The next cohort begins June 10th.
The waitlist is open now.
You don’t need to be more ready.
You just need to be more you.
New Women Who Lead episode: investing, intuition and impact with Maria Shiao
In the latest episode of Women Who Lead, I sit down with the brilliant Maria Shiao — angel investor, tech strategist and advocate for purpose-led innovation. Maria has spent decades navigating the worlds of finance and tech, and now backs founders who are building the future with heart and integrity.
We talk about what it really means to lead from inner knowing, how to stay anchored in fast-moving environments, and why investing (in companies and ourselves) is always personal.
What’s even better is that you can WATCH or LISTEN, depending on your vibe.
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Tune in here to hear how Maria is reshaping the leadership space with clarity, courage and quiet power.
Rooting for you always
Ruth x
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