Imposter Syndrome Hits Hardest Right After You Win

You got the promotion. So why do you feel like a fraud?

If that thought has run through your head even once this month, you are not alone. Nearly every leader carries some version of this feeling, and it hits hardest right after a promotion or a role transition.

In this episode of The Leader I Needed, James Rosseau Sr. unpacks why imposter syndrome shows up when you least expect it and what to do about it. Drawing on his own story, including the empty reservoir left by his father’s death, he explains why this feeling does not actually start in the boardroom. It starts years earlier, in unmet needs that go underground and reactivate at moments of transition.

James walks through what the research actually says about how common this is. The numbers will surprise you. And he shares a three-part refill plan every new manager should build before the next transition arrives.

If you are a newly promoted manager quietly wondering whether you belong in the room, this episode is for you. It will not just validate what you are feeling. It will give you a concrete way to get in front of it.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Related Radio Show: The Leader I Needed