Why Trust Me to Run This Ship?

TL;DR You are where you are because you are awesome. Keep being an innovator, a mover, and an influencer. That is what gets you recognized.

Have you ever found yourself in a position where you question why and how you got there? Do you feel like someone should be looking back and thinking, “Why do I trust this person to manage, develop, or run this part of our core business.” Do you think, why trust me, do I have the experience to do this?

Well, first off, you are not alone. Really. I mean really, you aren’t. It isn’t wrong to think like that. As a matter of fact, most of us get those feelings from time to time. Funny enough, there is a phrase for it. It’s called imposter syndrome. You feel like somehow you have faked it, charmed, or snuck your way into a position that you don’t feel qualified for. 70% of people experience this same feeling in some way throughout their professional career. I have been at this for a little over a decade. Every day still look back and think, why me? Fair enough. In reality I am just a kid in a business that has been around for ages. I think of one thing though when I get these thoughts; I am where I am because at the end of the day, I try harder, question norms, attack problems and really, most importantly, care more than anyone else.

Anyways, so what is the point of this post, why am I bothering to write about it if we all feel like this. Well, I am here to say you are wrong. You aren’t an imposter, you aren’t under qualified, you didn’t sneak in. In fact, you are here because they don’t just want, but NEED you there. It is easy to tell who are business drivers, innovators, and folks you just want to have around by just talking for 15 minutes. You are exactly that. I always say, I hire people, not a technical skillset. Sure you need the acumen, but you can be taught a lot of that. What you can’t teach, is attitude, drive, and my favorite phrase, that you just want to build cool shit. That is you. It doesn’t require anything but you to achieve.

So, where does that come back to for that imposter feeling…

First: I have it too. Everyday, I look back and think… Why the hell do people trust me to run this?

Second: It isn’t a bad thing. It’s something to embrace to encourage pushing forward. If nothing is driving you then it is easy to become complacent.

Third: Remember, the folks that put you in that position feel whole heartedly that you are the best person for that role. They put their trust in you because you are awesome. These are smart people that want to be surrounded by smart people. My core tenant is to always be the dumbest guy in the room. I want my team around me to consistently make me think about things in a different and effective way. If I join a team, I expect my leaders to think the same way.

In conclusion: You didn’t sneak in. You are not an imposter. You got there because you are exactly what the organization needs. You are the driver.