How Imposter Syndrome Affects Your Communication: 3 Ways It's Holding You Back (And How to Shift It)

Have you ever found yourself in a room full of smart, capable people, and yet there's this voice in your head whispering, "They're going to find out. They're going to find out that I don't really know what I'm talking about"?

Maybe you've built a successful business. You've led teams. You've spoken on stages. But deep down, that voice keeps telling you you're a fraud.

That voice? That's not the truth. That's imposter syndrome.

And today, I want to share with you how it's showing up in your communication and, more importantly, how you can shift it.

My Recent Experience with Imposter Syndrome

Let me be real with you. I recently joined a mastermind of amazing women in business, many of them who were once quite senior in corporate.

And as I entered into that space, I felt it.

That familiar feeling of smallness. That voice saying,

"Why would they listen to me?
What have I got to give?
What's my contribution and value?"

Here's what was interesting: I thought I'd done a lot of work on this. It's what I help my clients with every day. I even teach them to "be the imposter" – to become the person you want to become and embody her fully.

But there I was, feeling it all over again.

Why I Intentionally Put Myself in That Room

The thing is, I didn't accidentally end up in that mastermind. I intentionally put myself there because I wanted to expand my thinking. I wanted to grow my own leadership and business.

And to do that, I needed to be open to being expanded.

This is a very different way of looking at it. I shifted the language around me, feeling like an imposter, and went back to the intention of why I put myself in that room.

I had two choices:

1. Shrink, go into my shell, run away, and avoid it
2. Sit with the discomfort of being "the imposter" and get curious

I chose curiosity.

Because here's what I know: a lot of the time, we think the imposter feeling comes from external sources. "It's how they're making me feel. It's the container or the room."

No.

We need to look within ourselves. How and why do I feel like an imposter?

Understanding Imposter Syndrome: You're Not Alone

Imposter syndrome is when high-achieving individuals doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as a fraud – even when there's plenty of evidence that they're more than capable.

Research shows that 75% of women leaders have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers.

75%. That's a massive number of women.

When you're transitioning out of corporate or one type of identity and into entrepreneurship – a totally different identity – there are going to be moments of feeling like an imposter.

You're not alone in feeling this. It's absolutely normal.

And if you're a woman in business or leadership, you've likely worn this invisible weight more than once.

How Imposter Syndrome Shows Up (It's Sneaky)

Imposter syndrome doesn't always show up as obvious self-doubt. It's really sneaky because it can look like:

• Over-preparing
• Perfectionism
• Constantly downplaying your achievements

You want to know how it showed up for me? Perfectionism.

I wouldn't speak or contribute until I'd perfected how I was going to say it. Until I knew deep within myself that I could add value.

And you know what happens when perfectionism takes over? You don't speak up.

And that's one of the biggest ways imposter syndrome sabotages your communication.

3 Ways Imposter Syndrome Is Sabotaging Your Communication

1. Reluctance to Speak Up

You hesitate to share your opinion in meetings, in groups, on camera – because you're afraid of getting it wrong. You're afraid it might come out silly, or you might be rambling.

So you hold your words back.

And what happens? Your brilliance stays invisible. People don't get to experience the essence of you and what you bring.

I remember being asked on the spot about something in that mastermind. It caught me off guard, but I gave myself permission to be messy.

I even framed it up that way. I said, "Look, I have lots of things going on at the moment. I don't know how this will come out, but I hope it comes out clear enough."

And can I tell you something? When a woman leader or business owner gives herself permission to be messy, it opens up trust and connection with others.

That's exactly what it did. I allowed myself to be seen. I allowed myself to speak up even in the messiness.

2. Under-Pricing and Weak Negotiation

When that inner voice says, "Who am I to charge that?" you start to underprice your services and undervalue who you are and what you bring.

I call this the confidence tax. It's when your self-doubt costs you money.

3. Struggling to Own Your Story

You find it easier to promote others rather than promote yourself.

When you shift from corporate to entrepreneurship, one of the hardest things women struggle with is owning their story. So they promote and advocate for others instead.

And you know what happens? You sit in this spiral of doubt and might even end up going back into the corporate space because it feels safer than promoting yourself.

When it comes to sharing your story, you feel awkward. Maybe you feel self-indulgent, like you're boasting.

But in truth, your story is what connects people to your purpose.

The Language That's Running the Show

All of these are communication blocks. They don't mean you're not skilled. They mean your inner narrative – the language you're saying to yourself – is running the show.

Maybe your inner voice says things like:

• "I'm not ready yet."
• "I just got lucky."
• "They're going to realize I don't really belong here."

And externally, it comes across in your language like this:

• "It was nothing."
• "Sorry, just an idea."
• "I think maybe we could..."

Notice that language. It's minimizing. It's apologetic. It's hesitant.

Now, I did this too. I gave myself permission to be apologetic because that's who I was at that moment. But I recognized it and I owned it.

This is not about blaming yourself. This is about understanding yourself.

Because the first step to changing your outer voice is to begin with your inner voice. That's where the real confidence comes from – not from being perfect, but from being present and connected to your truth.

3 Steps to Break Through Imposter Syndrome in Your Communication

Step 1: Acknowledge It and Normalize It

You're not broken. You're human.

Even the most successful women you admire have felt this way and still continue to feel this way. The difference is they've learned not to let that voice run the show.

They have tools. They probably have great support around them to help pick them up on it and reframe it.

The next time that thought comes up – "I'm not good enough" – I want you to pause and say:

"Thank you for trying to protect me. But I've got this."

Now, it might feel really uncomfortable for you to do that. That's because it's a practice. Building that confidence, that inner trust muscle, is a muscle we've got to build over time, through repetition.

Start writing down evidence of your wins, your compliments, and your successes. This isn't ego. It's data to counter the lie of the imposter.

I've got what I call my "love box" – it's how I love on me. How I see myself, appreciate the growth, appreciate even the fear and the struggles.

Step 2: Practice Confident Communication

Now, when I did research on imposter syndrome, what came up was about practicing "assertive communication." Such a masculine thing, right?

But I don't think it's about assertive communication.

I believe it's about having certainty and conviction in who you are and what you bring.

That can be shifted with words. Here's how:

Replace "I think" with "I believe"

Look at the two. "I think" means you haven't fully formulated your idea. You're not in certainty. You're not in conviction with the idea.

But when you say "I believe," you are behind what you're saying. You are standing in your truth, in your value, in your idea.

They bring very different energy.

Replace "Just an idea" with "Here's my suggestion"

"Just an idea" is like, yeah, just an idea... whatever.

But "Here's my suggestion," or "Here's my take on it," or "Here's what I believe we should do" – do you see the energy behind that different language?

One says, "I haven't fully formulated this, I'm not fully sure, I'm not really behind it."

The other says, "I am so confident with this. I have full conviction. I'm so behind what I'm bringing."

Very different energies.

Replace "Sorry" with silence

This is my bugbear. I see it day in and day out with women. Women do this more.

"Sorry I didn't do it, sorry I didn't call you, sorry..."

I want you to replace that one with silence.

That one is very uncomfortable.

It's one of the many things I pick up with my students in my speaking circles. I joke that I want to have a sorry tax – every time you say sorry, you have to put money in the jar. Sorry, not sorry!

It's a practice. This language of confidence, conviction, and certainty is a practice. We need to be aware when we're saying it, and then reframe it.

Replacing "sorry" with silence is really powerful, really uncomfortable. But the more you practice this direct language, the more your nervous system learns that it's safe to be seen and heard, in conviction, owning your value and what you stand for.

Step 3: Surround Yourself with Mirrors, Not Magnifiers

Find your truth team. People who reflect back your brilliance when you forget it.

Mentors, circles, coaches, and communities where your voice is celebrated and not judged.

I cannot tell you time and time again how I've been in spaces where people are judged or they're put down. And it's amazing how the power of a word can have an impact on another.

Our words can raise someone up or put them down. That's how powerful words are.

I invite you to surround yourself with mirrors, not magnifiers.

Mirrors are going to celebrate you. They're going to see you for who you are.

Because imposter syndrome really shrinks in spaces where your truth is witnessed. Where you are fully seen and heard.

Your Voice Doesn't Need Permission

Imposter syndrome might never disappear entirely. But it doesn't have to define how you show up.

When it comes up, get curious with it.

Every time you speak up, even when your voice shakes. Every time you price your work in alignment with your worth. Every time you tell your story not perfectly but truthfully – you reclaim a piece of your power, your voice.

So if you've ever doubted yourself, know this:

Your voice doesn't need permission. It needs practice, presence, and belief.

And that starts now.

When you speak up from your truth, you stop being an imposter and you start being the change. You start being the impact.

Ready to Practice Your Voice in a Safe Space?

If this resonated with you, I'd love for you to join me in the  HERVOICE Speaking Circle.

This is a safe space to practice being seen and heard, and celebrated as you are. Because your voice is your revolution.

We are the mirrors to help you amplify your brilliance.

Ready to step into your voice with certainty and conviction? Join us in HERVOICE Speaking Circle and experience what it's like to be fully witnessed.

Have you experienced imposter syndrome in your leadership or business? What language patterns do you notice showing up for you? Share in the comments below.