Helping founders build the psychological mindset to lead #founders #leadership #executivecoaching #startups #entrepreneurship
"The day I hired my first C-suite exec team, I felt more inadequate than ever," my founder coaching client said to me. Two years after bootstrapping her company from nothing, she now had to lead seasoned professionals who'd managed teams larger than her entire company. Imposter syndrome hit her like a ton of bricks. She was at the the point of questioning her self-worth. This intimidating feeling is common among founders once they raise growth stage funding. There's a new team, often more accomplished and experienced than the founder. HERE'S HOW SHE WORKED HER WAY THROUGH IT: - She first acknowledged that the feeling was normal. - She started reframing it as a sign of growth. - The execs were there to complement her vision, not replace it. I reminded her that her strength was the founder's perspective from her zero-to-one journey that only she understands. She didn't have to be the best at everything. She hired them. She built this. She wasn't an imposter - she was just evolving and so were they. TAKEAWAY: Her discomfort was actually the feeling of your company leveling up.
