Feel like a Fraud? Maybe You Are
- David Morgan
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
Everyone is talking about "Imposter Syndrome."
TL:DR
Stop calling everything a "syndrome." It’s a lazy word that stops you from taking action.
If you’re the real deal: Get some support before you burn out.
If you’re the fraud: Get some training before you’re found out.
It’s become the trendy psychological safety net for the modern executive. But after two and a half decades of reading people, I’ve come to a conclusion that might sting:
Sometimes, that voice keeping you awake at night isn't anxiety. It’s your intuition telling you the truth.
The Two Faces of the "Fraud"
In this brutal market, I’m seeing two very different types of "imposters."
1. The High-Flyer Under Fire
These are the leaders who genuinely surprise me when they admit to feeling like fakes. They have the intellectual horsepower; they’ve navigated crises before; they have their "shit together" by every objective metric.
If this is you, your "Imposter Syndrome" is a byproduct of a world that has gone mad. You’re dealing with a deluge of AI you didn't ask for, a workforce with attitudes from a distant planet in the future and market conditions that feel like a permanent gale-force wind.
You aren't a fraud; you’re a marathon runner being asked to sprint through treacle.
The Advice: Stop pathologising your exhaustion. You don't need a therapist to tell you you're talented; you need a peer group to tell you you're not alone. You are a "worried veteran" because you actually care about the outcome.
2. The Genuine Article
Then there is the other group. I meet them more often than I’d like. These are the individuals who lack the basic intellectual horsepower for the roles they’ve lucked into. They are "lost souls" coasting on outdated management styles, past success, buzzwords and historical momentum.
If you are in this camp, your Imposter Syndrome is actually lucidity.
You are out of your depth. You are faking it, and in a market this tight, the mask is slipping. The "march of AI" and tech disruption isn't just a challenge for you; it's the thing that will finally expose your lack of substance.
The Advice: Stop waiting for the feeling to go away. It won't. The only cure for being a genuine fraud is to become the person you’re pretending to be. That requires a level of humility most senior managers can’t stomach.
The Solution: Punching Bags and Shoulders
We are operating in a climate that punishes the isolated. Whether you are a brilliant leader having a wobble or a genuine fraud needing a reboot, the worst thing you can do is keep staring at the ceiling at 3:00 AM.
You need a "punching bag" or a "shoulder to cry on"—ideally both.
The most successful leaders I know don't just "white-knuckle" it.
They invest. They understand that expensive management training courses aren't just about learning "Synergy" or "Agile Flow"—they are about getting into a room with people who share your specific brand of hell.
You need to talk to other leaders. You need to share the problems you can't tell your Board or your spouse. You need to find out if you’re a "worried veteran" who needs a break, or a "lost soul" who needs a serious upgrade.
My Challenge to You
Stop calling everything a "syndrome." It’s a lazy word that stops you from taking action.
If you’re the real deal: Get some support before you burn out.
If you’re the fraud: Get some training before you’re found out.
The market has no end in sight for its volatility. If you want to stop the 3:00 AM nose-punches, you need to start being honest about which one you are.
Are you ready to stop faking it and start fixing it? Let's discuss how a high-level peer network or targeted leadership development can change your trajectory.
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