The Unadvertised Version of Leadership: Fake it til you make it!

Leadership in 180 Seconds: Lessons I have learnt as a leader that few talk about

The Unadvertised Side of Leadership: Feeling Like a Fake

Ever felt like a complete fake in leadership?

I have.

When I first started sharing leadership content, I thought, “Who am I to do this?” It felt unnatural, even wrong. But here’s the truth: confidence doesn’t usually come first. It comes after action.

Each time we step into something new—running a meeting, pitching, having a tough conversation—it feels uncomfortable. But the more we do it, the more natural it becomes. You’re not faking it. You’re growing into it.

Where do you feel like an imposter right now? And what bold step could you take anyway?

• Transcript

  Here’s something nobody tells you when you step into leadership: to be a genuine leader you are going to have to be a fake!

  I’ve seen it play out time and again.
  “I couldn’t lead that project, people would see right through me.”
  “I don’t feel natural presenting with energy—that would be faking it.”
  “I don’t want to fake it, so I’ll step back.”

  I know the feeling. When I started recording leadership content, I was anxious. Who was I to put my thoughts out there? I’d never done this before. I felt like an imposter. But I pressed record anyway. And now, after more than 100 episodes, it’s simply part of what I do. The confidence came after the action.

  That’s the unadvertised part of leadership: confidence rarely comes first. It’s often the result of doing the uncomfortable thing, again and again, until it becomes normal.

  Philosopher Will Durant, paraphrasing Aristotle, wrote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

  When you step into something new—whether it’s running your first team meeting, pitching to senior executives, or having a tough performance conversation—you’ll likely feel like you’re “faking it.” But if you take the step, repeat it, and reflect, it slowly becomes second nature.

  So here’s my encouragement: don’t wait until you feel ready. You may never feel ready. Step forward anyway. Each time you do, you’re shaping yourself into the leader you’re becoming.

  Reflection Questions:

  • Where in your leadership do you currently feel like an imposter?

  • What’s one action you’ve been avoiding because you don’t feel “ready”?

  • How might you reframe that feeling—not as faking it, but as growing into it?

  Journal about it. Talk it through with a coach or mentor. And then take one bold step this week.

  Because the truth is: the unadvertised side of leadership is that we often grow into the shoes after we’ve started walking in them.