Your Next Clear Move
Welcome to Your Next Clear Move™—the podcast for leaders, professionals, and high-capacity humans who are done “getting ready” and ready to move.
I’m Debbie Peterson, Leadership Readiness Expert, and in each episode I deliver grounded insight, clarity-driven mindset strategies, and one actionable step to help you stop the drift and lead yourself forward.
This isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reconnecting to what matters—and making decisions that align with who you are and how you want to lead next.
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Your Next Clear Move
What Leadership Readiness Really Looks Like When You’re Struggling With Imposter Syndrome
Ever walked into a leadership meeting and thought, "Do I really belong here?" That nagging sense of doubt—the fear someone will "find you out"—is imposter syndrome, and it thrives among high achievers like you.
Leadership readiness has little to do with titles, degrees, or external validation. These traditional metrics create a dangerous illusion that you must continuously earn your voice before using it. The revolutionary truth? You don't need to earn your right to lead—you need to own it. The shift from seeking approval to cultivating self-belief is what separates spinning in self-doubt from stepping confidently into your next level.
Debbie Peterson shares three powerful reframes for those imposter thoughts: transform "I don't know enough" into "I'm here to learn and contribute." Replace "they'll find me out" with "they chose me for a reason." And instead of "I need to prove myself," embrace "I'm ready to grow." These shifts create space for authentic leadership presence rather than exhausting performance.
What if those uncomfortable feelings aren't warning signs of inadequacy but signals you're on the edge of expansion? True readiness looks like asking questions even when your voice shakes, mentoring others despite having doubts yourself, and making decisions without second-guessing every step. For high performers questioning their seat at the table, the most transformative question isn't "How can I become ready?" but "What would change if I believed I was already ready enough to lead from here?"
Visit debbiepetersonspeaks.com to discover how the Readiness Reset Programming helps high-capacity professionals lead confidently from within, regardless of their title. Remember, when you gain clarity, your entire organization does too.
Hey, hello and welcome back. I am Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity, and this is another episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast. This is where you come to get your next clear move to build momentum in your leadership and possibly your life. So today we are talking about leadership readiness and what it really looks like when you are struggling with imposter syndrome. So stay tuned.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Getting to Clarity podcast.
Speaker 3:The place where busy leaders discover how to create more success in their leadership journey with less sacrifice in their life.
Speaker 2:Here's your host, debbie Peterson, of Getting to Clarity.
Speaker 1:So maybe this is you. You walk into the room, you are in a leadership position, Maybe you're a new leader and you take your seat at the table and your first thought is you take your seat at the table and your first thought is oh my goodness, am I really cut out for this, or did I just get lucky? Or maybe worse, you're thinking what if they figure out? I don't belong here at all. And let me just tell you that, if you have ever felt that way, you are not the only one. So know this you're not failing. You're one of the go-to people that others count on, even if you're not always sure why. And you've been taught to measure readiness by external factors, things like title. If you have the right title, you're ready. Or if you have the right degree or advanced education, then you're ready. If you are getting accolades or praise well, then you're ready. Or if you've got perfect plans, then you're ready. But here's the truth Readiness doesn't come from the outside, it starts from within. So there's a leadership lie that you have to earn your voice and it feeds imposter syndrome, because imposter syndrome thrives in high achievers just like you, because you're constantly aiming for higher, which means you're always one step away from feeling like you've not earned it yet. And that internal voice is loud and proud and it is saying who am I to do this? You know, somebody else probably knows more than me, or you know, I need to prove, I need to earn my stripes before I can speak up, before I can contribute, before I can take action. And no, here's what I want you to know you don't need to earn your right to lead, you need to own it. It's not about getting ready, you are ready. It's about moving into that space where you are being ready. And that shift from external approval to internal belief is the difference between you spinning in self-doubt and you stepping into your next level. So readiness is a mindset. It is not a finish line, and the mistake that we make is that we are waiting to feel ready before we move. But readiness doesn't arrive with a neon sign saying okay, here I am. It's built one decision at a time, and it shows up when you act as if you belong. Okay, Until one day you realize that you really, truly do. And often the discomfort that you're feeling isn't a sign that you're unqualified, You're looking at it wrong. It's a sign that you are growing. Okay, the discomfort is a sign that you are growing. So consider this what if imposter feelings were actually a signal that you're on the edge of expansion?
Speaker 1:So let's look at ways to reframe imposter thoughts. I'm going to give you three ways, because in my HUNA studies we learned that words hold both life and death. They can lift you up, they can lift someone up or they can pull you down, and this principle is equally important in the thoughts that we have. So consider these reframes. The first one reframing from I don't know enough, Okay, and you reframe it to I'm here to learn and contribute. You don't need to have the answer to add value. Your insight, your curiosity, your perspective are assets. They're unique to you. They are not afterthoughts.
Speaker 1:Number two reframe from they'll find me out to. Okay, I don't know what it is, but they chose me for a reason. Right, you didn't land here by accident. Someone saw something in you. Honor that and let it reflect back to how you see yourself. Number three reframe from all, right, I got to earn my stripes. I have to prove myself. Two I'm ready to grow. I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to grow Because there's a difference between performance and presence.
Speaker 1:It's a healthy attitude when you show up with the intention to learn rather than striving for perfection that shuts knowledge out. So what readiness looks like on the inside? It is asking a question in the meeting, Even if your voice shakes. That's okay. It's mentoring someone else, even when you still have doubts of your own Mentoring someone else even when you still have doubts of your own. Mentoring someone else helps to build your confidence. You just need to be a little further down the road than them. It is making a decision without second guessing every single step. It is saying I don't know, but I can find out, and doing that with confidence. So readiness isn't something that you earn. It's a state of belief that you have in yourself and you build it.
Speaker 1:So what is your next clear move? If you're a high performer and you're questioning your seat at the table, questioning what it is they've called you to do, I want you to pause. Don't try to hustle or grind your way into feeling ready because you already are. Instead, ask yourself what would change if I believed that I was already ready enough to lead from here Because you are. What would change if you had that belief? Then take action on that belief.
Speaker 1:Okay, Even if you don't believe it to be true, take action on it. It is one conversation that you have that maybe you wouldn't have. It is one decision that you make that you've been perhaps avoiding. It is one clear move at a time, and if you are part of an organization that you want to help your leaders grow into their next level with confidence instead of self-doubt, then I encourage you to visit my website at wwwdebbypetersonspeakscom and check out the Readiness Reset Programming, because it helps your high-capacity professionals lead from within, regardless of their title. I'm Debbie Peterson of Getting to Clarity and remember when you gain clarity, your whole organization does too. Take care, be good to yourself and bye-bye for now.
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to this episode of the Getting to Clarity podcast with Debbie Peterson.
Speaker 3:If you enjoyed this show, please rate and recommend it on iTunes or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
Speaker 2:To learn more about how you can bring Debbie and her transformational clarity leadership strategies to your organization, visit debbepetersonspeakscom.
