By Guryan Tighe
Fear has been and is being used by governments, religions, and businesses to divide us. But if we listen to it, we have the opportunity to reframe it—rather than react to fear, we can respond with choice, letting fear become a tool for our individual and collective growth.
Throughout history, governments, religions, and businesses have used fear to divide and control women in particular, shaping not only their opportunities but also their sense of worth. Today, those dynamics still show up in more subtle ways, like imposter syndrome—where fear keeps women from going after a promotion, sharing an idea, or stepping into leadership because they don’t feel “good enough.” We have the opportunity to rethink what success really means by adopting new, simple practices to help us move from reacting in fear to responding with choice—so that fear becomes a tool for growth rather than a barrier to it.
Fear is free. Fear can be monetized. And it can be used to target one’s lack of worth. It’s one of the most abused powers throughout history. People in fear give away their power, moving out of choice and into conformity with a narrative that may not be true for them or in their or humanity’s best interest.
A way this fear manifests in the professional world is the very common imposter syndrome. In psychology, the imposter syndrome is defined as a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Generally, imposter syndrome means we find ourselves in a new circumstance, one that might be inviting us out of our comfort zone: a definite playground for fear and a perfect example of what is calling for our attention.
The truth is, imposter syndrome in the workplace is a lot more common than people realize–probably because we’re too scared to talk about it. And it’s not evenly experienced by populations. In fact, one 2025 study found that: More than half of women (54%) feel they have experienced imposter syndrome, compared with just 38% of men.
Without understanding why imposter syndrome is showing up, we can make the assumption it’s about our being found out, exposed, discovered, that we are less than what we presented ourselves to be or what we are capable of.
What if there’s a different reason imposter syndrome is showing up? What if fear is actually showing up to guide us in the right direction and to look at things we aren’t currently looking at? To pose questions we’re too scared to ask because we’re scared we don’t already have it figured out (with the assumption we should).
What if fear isn’t to be feared at all? What if it’s actually pointing us towards exactly where we would benefit from looking at? Fear has more information for us than anything – and if we can begin to understand the insights it’s connecting us to, we can use fear to our advantage rather than allow it to stifle our success.
So, if fear isn’t the enemy, if it’s actually working for us, when you sense its presence, what can you do about it?
First, notice it. Naming it is really important. When you’re experiencing imposter syndrome. Pause. Turn towards it. Get curious… What’s the growth opportunity? For instance, if you’re running the imposter syndrome of “I’m out of my league, I’m not smart enough,” get curious as to what’s beneath that story? Is it an invitation to conduct more research on the product specifications, or connect with a teammate and run through a few scenarios? Or, maybe it’s asking you to stand in your confidence.
Whenever a client tells me they have a fear or they feel the imposter syndrome, I ask them to share with me the language their fear is using. What exact verbiage and stories are fear telling you? That’s important information to help us decode the truth. What’s beneath the (generally) cruel story is information wanting to guide you to your growth.
Second, make an honest assessment of what is happening. I often see clients who tell me they have imposter syndrome while simultaneously taking risks and leading teams. Or, they tell me they’re scared to have an honest conversation when they just shared the three most recent examples of how they practiced their vulnerability. The previous story they had about being an imposter or scared to expose themselves isn’t congruent with their current identity. We’ve run the stories in our heads so many times, we have to replace those stories with new ones that reflect the current version of ourselves.
Third, notice if your fear is using humility to keep you small. Fear is trying to protect us. And it has an ironic sense of humor. Even though it’s showing us exactly where we want to grow – the whole reason it’s making us scared is because when we do grow into the next version of ourselves, it has to do work to figure out who we are then so it can protect the newest form. And fear doesn’t like to do extra work. So notice… is fear using a value of yours to keep you from stepping into your confidence? The worst thing for a humble person to practice is humility – as it may be fear using your value to keep you safe (the current version of yourself). Try to find the irony. Own your strengths and see how the situation might benefit from them. Take the emphasis off of yourself and in service of what you’re trying to accomplish or inspire or create.
Once we make room for our fear, even welcome it, then we begin to be in conversation with it. What if when we felt our fear, instead of turning away from it, we stared right at it, asked, “What are you here to show me?” and engaged it in a conversation? It’s a little uncomfortable at first, but the more we understand the process, the less uncomfortable it becomes. Your fear knows more about you than anyone. It knows what you really want (what you’re scared of), what you desire (where you want to grow), and what steps you need to take to get there (the very place where you may feel like an imposter). If we grow curious about fear’s language, there’s rich meaning to be had for our own self-discovery.
Guryan Tighe
