Alp activating leadership potential

Leading Without the Mask: A Self-Compassion Practice for Impostor Syndrome

By Salem Islas-Madlo

Impostor syndrome has a familiar voice:
You’re not enough.You don’t belong here.
Sooner or later, they’ll find you out.

After participating in a transformative course on shame with self-compassion expert Chris Germer, I began looking more closely at the connection between shame, impostor syndrome, and the way we lead.

What happens when, instead of meeting self-doubt with criticism, we meet it with curiosity and compassion?

Here are five practices to explore:

1. Notice the trigger.
When impostor feelings arise, pay attention to what is happening in your body, thoughts, and emotions. Awareness gives us the opportunity to respond rather than react.

2. Explore the origins.
Ask yourself: When did I first learn that I wasn’t enough? Some of the stories shaping our leadership today may have been formed long before we stepped into positions of responsibility.

3. Practice self-compassion.
Acknowledge the difficulty. Remember that you are not alone. Offer yourself the same kindness you might extend to someone else navigating uncertainty.

4. Return to your values.
What matters most to you as a leader—integrity, curiosity, courage, service, compassion? When self-doubt appears, your values can become an anchor.

5. Imagine leading without shame.
What might change if fear of being exposed no longer shaped your decisions? How would you communicate, take risks, relate to others, or use your voice?

Self-compassion isn’t an indulgence in leadership. It can support resilience, clearer decision-making, authentic relationships, and cultures where others feel safer to bring more of themselves to their work.

The next time impostor syndrome appears, consider asking:

What would change if I met this moment with kindness instead of criticism?

Even more simply:

What would love do here?

✍🏽 Adapted from the blog on the ALP Network website Leading Without the Mask: A Self-Compassion Practice for Impostor Syndrome by Salem Islas-Madlo for the ALP Network.

Here we are with participants from 4 countries!

From 7 to 10 September, Progetto Crescere welcomes partners from Germany, Lithuania and Austria to Reggio Emilia for new days of training and exchange within the Erasmus+ project SMILE CAFÉ – Digital skills & well-being for 55+.

An opportunity to meet, share experiences and skills, and continue the project journey together.

Welcome to Reggio Emilia! 🇮🇹✨