You’re smart, and you know what you’re doing.
You’re motivated, and you care about the end result.
So why do you still feel like an imposter sometimes?
To answer that question, a good place to start is with this reality check:
There are three parts of the mind, and you’re often only considering two of them.
You need all three. So, you can be plenty knowledgeable and fully bought in to your role, but if you’re constantly being asked to work against the ways you naturally take action…
Something is going to be off. Tasks will drain your energy. And yes, you may start to question yourself as a result.
Tron Smith is a successful Market Manager at Airbnb and owns a rental staging company on the side. But she still feels like an imposter.
Or at least she did…until she sat down with David Kolbe on the first episode of Powered by Instinct: Private Sessions.
On the podcast, David, an expert in human performance, provided guidance on Tron’s 7-5-4-3 Kolbe A™ Index result, and helped her learn how to stop fighting how she’s wired and lean into her natural strengths.
Tron initiates in Fact Finder, with a Natural Advantage™ of Answer Authority.
“You need the info,” David explained. “You get the scoop. You do your homework. You come with numbers and facts and figures, and you don’t just keep them in a notebook to yourself. You share them. You tell people.”
“It sounds spot on,” Tron replied. “I do like to ask questions. I do like to do the research, and I’m just a very curious person.”
But Tron did push back in regards to one aspect of her life.
“I do not ask a lot of questions on team meetings and team calls,” she clarified. “That’s where the imposter syndrome kicks in for me. I’m not that person that in front of the whole group is going to ask, “Hey, what did you mean by whatever that word was or whatever that thing was that just flew over my head?’”
David explained that affective tendencies can play a role as well. It’s Tron’s preference to speak up more behind the scenes, and it’s important to blend her personality with her conative needs.
“You’re going to have all these questions,” he elaborated, “and if you don’t think in the team meeting is the right time to do it, don’t lose track of them. I think one thing that learning your Kolbe results can help with is understanding, ‘you know what? I’m not an imposter.’ With this answer authority part of me, people can count on me to get good questions.”
The two went on to discuss how Tron’s 7-5-4-3 MO aids her in navigating systems as a Market Manager, how she can use her 4 in Quick Start to excel in ways that defy easy stereotypes about entrepreneurs, and the value of her ability to envision things without needing to see them. You can listen to the full episode here.
And by the end of the conversation, Tron was prepared to face her future equipped with all three parts of the mind and renewed confidence at her disposal.
“I’m ready to go to work tomorrow!” she beamed.
If that sentence doesn’t resonate with you right now, it may be the perfect time to get your Kolbe A result too!
