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Episode 19 Building Your Strategic Leadership Presence

Communicate without Imposter Syndrome

Struggling to get your brilliant ideas heard? Discover how mastering confident communication can transform your influence, even when imposter syndrome strikes.

Hello, my lovely!

Welcome back to the Leader Within Podcast.

If you've been with us on this six-week journey from Invisible to Influential, you've already reclaimed your tiger time and built your daily blueprint to shift from firefighting to strategic focus. You're building momentum to become a strategic leader who gets seen, heard, and supported. This is week three, and today, we're diving deep into mastering confident communication by breaking free from the pervasive trap of imposter syndrome. It's another essential piece of learning to think, communicate, and show up differently.

We often hear the advice to "fake it till you make it," but this common industry norm can actually worsen imposter syndrome and sabotage your ability to communicate with influence. If you've fallen into the "try harder" trap, you know this feeling well. It's a pattern where you're constantly performing confidence, overthinking every word, and over-explaining your points because you're terrified someone will realise you don't belong. But what if authentic communication, acknowledging what you know and what you're still learning, actually creates more influence than perfect performance ever could?

Listen to discover:

👉Why "faking it" in communication can backfire and worsen imposter syndrome.

👉The five invisible "gatekeepers" in human behavior that determine if you're heard or dismissed.

👉How to reframe your communication to build trust and influence, even when self-doubt creeps in.

👉The power of AI tools like the "Influence Architect" to help you master your communication "how."

So, grab your favourite beverage, settle in, and let's explore how to unlock your authentic, influential voice.

Episode Navigation: What You'll Discover

[00:00:58] The Exhausting "Fake It Till You Make It" Trap

Sue-Anne reveals why this popular advice can actually fuel imposter syndrome and hinder your communication influence. Discover the detrimental effects of performing confidence instead of embodying it.

[00:04:30] Rachel's Voice Lost In Translation: A Case Study

Explore a real-world example of how imposter syndrome hijacked a brilliant strategist's voice, leading to missed opportunities and costly mistakes. Learn what happened when her "how" undermined her "what."

[00:07:09] Brain Science: The 5 Gatekeepers and Imposter Communications

Explore how the brain's reward system can create an addiction to rescuing, leading to cognitive overload and the "fawn response." Understand how this pattern depletes your prefrontal cortex and hinders strategic thinking.

[00:11:24] The Power Move: Mastering the 5 Gatekeepers of Confident Communication

Discover practical strategies to navigate each gatekeeper effectively. Learn how to ground your insights, provide clarity, honour control, build genuine connection, and claim your contributions with confidence.

[00:15:27] Walk the Talk: Using AI for Confident Communication Prompts

Get a practical ChatGPT prompt to experiment with rephrasing your ideas for more confident delivery. Learn why generic AI might fall short and how to refine its output to sound authentically you.

[00:17:30] Custom AI: The Influence Architect for Strategic Influence

Explore a specialized AI tool designed to help leaders master the "how" of communication. Understand how it analyses patterns, crafts messages, and provides coaching to transform imposter syndrome into influential dialogue.

[00:21:41] Imagine: The Transformation Promise of Confident Communication

Picture the profound shift that occurs when you break free from imposter syndrome and master confident communication. See how your reputation, influence, and leadership presence can be transformed.

[READY TO IMPLEMENT? WATCH THE FULL EPISODE: by clicking the video link above]

Why This Episode Is Essential Viewing

✅You overthink every word before speaking in meetings.

✅You apologize or excessively qualify your brilliant ideas.

✅You've watched someone else get credit for your exact same idea.

✅You feel a disconnect between your confidence inside and how you show up speaking.

✅You worry that people will discover you're not as knowledgeable as they think.

What You'll Walk Away With

After watching this episode, you'll have:

⭐The confidence to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively, even when imposter syndrome strikes.

⭐A deep understanding of the psychological triggers that influence how your message is received.

⭐Practical strategies and AI prompts to improve your communication "how."

⭐The ability to transform your leadership presence from tentative to influential.

⭐A renewed belief in your own expertise and the value you bring.

You're only one reconstructed thought away from the breakthrough you deserve.

[TRANSFORM YOUR LEADERSHIP APPROACH: WATCH NOW - Click the Video Above]

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you're ready to stop being the best-kept secret in your organization and want the support to turn these insights into your own reality, it's time to dive deeper.

💡 Leader Within Coaching Experience

Ready for personalized support? Discover how our structured coaching approach helps you break through specific plateaus by joining the Invisible to Influential in Just 6 Weeks group coaching experience: https://sue-anne.com.au/intentional

What's Next?

In our next episode, we'll be talking about Presence, Leadership Brand, and Visibility. Learn how you can move from invisible to influential by mastering these crucial elements. Don't miss it! Until then, my lovely, keep leading with clarity, passion, and purpose.

Sue-Anne Higgins

Host, The Leader Within Podcast