Can Getting a Promotion Erode Your Confidence?

From the outside it seems that getting rewards, recognition and greater responsibility should make us MORE confident. And it usually does — at first. But after the excitement wears off and the pressure to perform at a higher level weighs down, it’s pretty common to feel some doubts on the inside.

After all, if the promotion was a big one you’ve never had to make so much happen, so quickly and so impactfully. What if you can’t do it?

Keeping a brave, confident face on the outside while harboring inner doubts is stressful, especially when the #ImposterSyndrome takes hold and you fear being “found out” as a fraud.

The trick to managing your doubts in this situation is to recognize that these particular doubts are primarily a matter of your circumstance. After all, you’ve never operated at this level before, so of course you don’t have full confidence in yourself — yet.

The lack of confidence is about your situation, not your self.