High achievers who quietly doubt themselves
You have the track record, and you still half expect someone to work out that you do not deserve it.
“They are going to work out I got lucky.”
The book
You’re not good enough, you’re great enough.
Solving impostor syndrome and overcoming the insecurities that hold us back.
By Davide Pagnotta and Elisabeth Sperling, co-founders of Wise Humanity
Feeling like you are never quite good enough is one of the most common and least talked about experiences at work. This book takes it apart, and gives you the practical tools to let go of insecurities and impostor syndrome.
What it is about
Not-enoughism, and how to stop living inside it.
Impostor syndrome is rarely a shortage of ability. It is a set of beliefs that discount everything you have already done, and a habit of measuring yourself against a standard that keeps moving. We call it not-enoughism, and it is a learned attitude, which means it can be unlearned.
The book works through it in the way we work with teams and people: no theory for its own sake, and a practical tool at the end of each concept. You can read it straight through, or take one chapter at a time and use it.
Who it is for
People stepping into something new
A new role, a new challenge, a problem nobody has solved here before. The ground is unfamiliar, and the doubt arrives before the evidence does.
“Everyone else seems to know what they are doing.”
The recently promoted
The promotion says you have proved it. The job asks you to prove it again, against a higher bar, and holding both at once is heavier than it looks.
“What if this is the level where I finally come up short?”
Anyone who pressed Send and then wanted to undo it
The pitch, the piece of writing, the idea you finally shared. The moment it leaves your hands, every reason it is not good enough arrives at once.
“I should never have sent that.”
I picked up the book, expecting it to cover things I'd already learned. Boy, was I wrong! It has allowed me to realise that in certain situations I have been struggling with, I am good enough!
What you get from it
Hands-on tools that help you shift in multiple ways.
- 01
Break through self-limiting beliefs
Take apart the mindset of not-enoughism and the beliefs holding it in place.
- 02
Change the way you talk to yourself
Turn negative thought patterns into perspectives that build confidence, self-acceptance and growth.
- 03
Build authentic connections
Practise empathy and open-mindedness, and build the sense of belonging that self-doubt erodes.
- 04
Lead with resilience
Meet rejection, failure and mistakes as part of the work, and lead from your real worth.
What’s inside
Eleven chapters.
As someone who struggles with insecurity and imposter syndrome, I found the strategies and exercises really really helpful.
The authors
Written by the two co-founders.
The launch
Milan, 2023.
We launched the book the way we work: a room full of people, working through ideas and tools together.
I love this book: it's clear, encouraging, effective.
Get the book
Available on Amazon in paperback.
Bring it to your team
We also run workshops built on the ideas and tools in this book, shaped around what your team is actually dealing with.