How to Thrive as a Female Leader in the Male World of Tech

Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash

“Don’t be silly all women have imposter syndrome.”

A male coach had offered to help one of my clients with her imposter syndrome and when she told him that she thought her problem was possibly the opposite, he cut her off with those words.

This story made my blood boil. I’ve long had issue with the term imposter syndrome. I wrote in From Imposter Syndrome to Pioneer Syndrome:

Perhaps imposter syndrome isn’t a bad thing. If you’re feeling a little bit intimidated and out of your element, it’s likely a sign that you’re playing in the big leagues. You don’t want to be the smartest, most accomplished person in the room. That means you know exactly how to do your job, and that’s boring. There’s plenty more growth opportunities to be the small fish in the big pond and learn from all the smart, inspiring people around you. Perhaps imposter syndrome could be a good thing because then you’re in the right room and ready to be stretched.

This past week, I’ve been leading two separate female leadership groups and also spoke at a Clubhouse fireside chat on “How Women Advance in Tech Leadership.” The shared stories and experiences reminded me that we continue to exist in a corporate world where both conscious and unconscious bias towards women…