Swing Anyway: Leading Through Imposter Syndrome

If I’m honest, I’ve spent much of my life feeling like I didn’t quite belong on the field.

As a kid, I wanted to be a star athlete. The reality? I started late, struggled often, and rarely stood out. I made teams—but just barely. I wrestled, swam, but got cut after tryouts in football and baseball… and never excelled.  

I remember a coach once telling me that when the varsity state champion caliber wrestler ahead of me graduated, I might get my shot. The problem? I was graduating too. Message received.

I wasn’t the biggest, fastest, or most talented. And when you’re surrounded by people who are, it’s easy to internalize a quiet question: 

Do I really belong here?

That question didn’t stay on the field. When I walked into my first manufacturing role as a young engineer, it showed up again—loud and clear.

The equipment was massive. The processes were complex. And the production personnel had years—sometimes decades—of experience. I understood the theory, but they understood the reality.  And in a union environment, they wielded their power. I knew pretty quickly that I was in over my head - Or at least, it felt that way.

My work required running trials—changing variables, testing improvements, trying to make a better product. But those trials often made things harder for the operators. Trials disrupted routine. Trials introduced risk. Trials created extra work. I wasn’t just new—I was inconvenient.

And that’s where imposter syndrome really takes hold.

Not just “I don’t know enough,” but “I’m making things worse,” and I was told such. But something shifted over time—and it wasn’t that I suddenly became the smartest person in the room.  I didn’t. What changed was how I showed up.

I stopped trying to prove I belonged and started focusing on contributing where I could.

I asked questions—lots of them. I listened to the people who had been doing the work long before I arrived. And when my trials created a mess (which they often did), I stayed and helped clean it up. Not because it was required. Because it was right. That mattered more than any credential I brought with me.

Staying in the Game

Looking back, I realize something important: I may not have excelled in sports—but I learned how to stay in the game. I learned discipline. I learned perseverance. I learned how to show up even when I wasn’t the best in the room. And those lessons translated directly into leadership.

Because leadership isn’t about being the most capable person in the room. It’s about how you engage the room. It’s about relationships. It’s about trust. It’s about doing the work alongside people—not above them. And ultimately, it’s about results.

We often think imposter syndrome is something to overcome—as if one day it just disappears. But what if that’s not the point?

What if imposter syndrome is actually a signal?

A signal that you’ve stepped into a space that requires growth. A signal that you’re stretching beyond what’s comfortable. A signal that you care enough to get it right.

Because the truth is, if you only operate where you feel fully confident, you’re probably not growing.

Think about it. No one breaks a barrier—from the four-minute mile to breakthrough innovation—by staying where they feel completely ready. There’s always a moment where someone steps forward and thinks: “I’m not sure I belong here… but I’m going to try anyway.” That’s not weakness. That’s leadership. I’ve come to believe that we’re rarely asked to perform at a level we’re completely unprepared for—but we are often asked to grow into it.

And growth feels a lot like doubt in the beginning.

The difference is what you do next. You can step back and wait until you feel ready. Or you can step forward and build readiness through action.

So if you’re feeling like you don’t belong—on the “court,” in the meeting room, in the leadership role you’ve been given—consider this: You’re not there by accident.

You don’t need to have all the answers.You don’t need to be the most experienced.You don’t need to feel confident before you act.

You need to show up.You need to engage.You need to do the work. 

And you need to be willing to grow in front of others.

Leadership isn’t a position you earn once.

It’s a way you show up every day. Especially on the days you feel like you don’t belong.So get on the court where you’re prepared. Lean into the discomfort. Build relationships. Deliver results. Keep learning.

And as Jesse Cole of the Savannah Bananas says: “Swing hard… in case you hit it.”

Brian