The Impostor Syndrome Files

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about why authenticity is overrated and what to do instead. My guest this week is Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, psychologist, professor, Chief Science Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates and author of the new book Don’t Be Yourself. Tomas argues that it’s not raw authenticity that makes you a good leader. Great leaders care deeply about what others think of them. They leverage their emotional intelligence and engage in strategic impression management, which leads them to come across as more authentic and trustworthy to others. Tomas believes that instead of bringing our authentic selves to work, we should focus on being our best selves.We also explore concepts from Tomas’ book Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (And How to Fix It), including a look at how we overvalue confidence and undervalue competence. We examine what DEI got wrong, how gender bias holds women back, and how AI can help us create more meritocratic systems. About My GuestTomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Science Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, a cofounder of Deeper Signals, and an associate at Harvard's Entrepreneurial Finance Lab. He is the author of several books, including Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and How to Fix It), upon which his popular TEDx talk was based, and I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique.~Connect with Tomas:Website: https://drtomas.com/Book: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-Yourself-Authenticity-Overrated/dp/1647829836  (or if you have a preferred bookseller - bookshop, Barnes & Noble)~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.com

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore what it takes to create teams that are not only high-performing but also deeply connected and resilient, especially in today’s fast-changing workplace. My guest this week is Daria Rudnik, a former Chief People Officer turned leadership consultant, who draws on her experience leading tech and telecom companies to help organizations transform how they lead and collaborate.Daria shares her personal journey from being the only woman in the C-suite to becoming a champion for better workplaces. Together, we dive into why most teams today aren’t true teams at all and how that’s costing us in engagement, performance and well-being. She shares practical strategies to reduce leader overload, strengthen peer-to-peer connections and build teams that can thrive even amid uncertainty, remote work and AI integration.About My GuestDaria Rudnik is a Team Architect and Executive Leadership Coach, author of CLICKING: A Team Building Strategy for Overloaded Leaders Who Want Stronger Team Trust, Better Results, and More Time, and co-author of The AI Revolution: Thriving Within Civilization’s Next Big Disruption. A former Chief People Officer and ex-Deloitte professional, she brings over 15 years of international executive experience in tech and telecom.Having lived in three countries and worked with clients across six continents, Daria has helped leaders and organizations navigate global financial crises, wars, and the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past five years, she has focused on helping busy leaders escape work overload by building self-sufficient, high-trust teams. She does this through a mix of team and leadership coaching, organizational consulting, assessments, and an AI-powered coach she developed.~Connect with Daria:Website: https://dariarudnik.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariarudnik/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN4S6P37~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.com

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore what it really means to lead with authenticity in a world that doesn’t always welcome it. My guest this week is Judy Hoberman, a trailblazing executive coach, speaker and author who built her career in male-dominated industries like commercial roofing and financial services. Judy shares stories from her early days climbing ladders in skirts, navigating bias and building unexpected alliances, and how those experiences shaped her belief that relationships are at the heart of everything.Together, we talk about how the leadership landscape has changed and how it hasn’t. Judy and I explore the loneliness of leadership, the complicated dynamics among women in the workplace and the ongoing tension between showing confidence and being labeled as too much. Judy also offers practical, encouraging advice on how to build a network (even as an introvert), how to start authentic conversations and how to lead from a place of generosity instead of fear.About My GuestJudy Hoberman is President of Judy Hoberman and Associates, a company focused on empowering professional women. She is an award-winning international speaker, best-selling author, trainer, and leading authority on women in leadership and sales. She is also a Certified High Performance Coach™ where changing your habits can change your life. Her focus is on Executive Coaching and Trailblazer Masterminds for women. This direction is where her true passion is and gives her the time and attention to work with these incredible women, primarily in financial services and healthcare, which has always been part of her mission and vision.Judy’s 30 years in business along with her experience in sales and leadership has helped her clients realize the importance of building relationships, standing out and being the authority in their market. She is often described as “transformational.” She is a best-selling author, a TEDx speaker and the host of The Trailblazer Chronicles podcast.Judy’s mission…to help one woman a day by following an important philosophy- "Women Want To Be Treated Equally...Not Identically"®~Connect with Judy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyhoberman/ Website: https://sellinginaskirt.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sellinginaskirt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sellinginaskirt~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.com

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we dive into what it really means to lead with courage and integrity in complex and sometimes disheartening environments. My guest this week is Dr. Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, historian, women’s leadership expert and author of Leading with Courage: A Career-Long Guide for Idealistic Women. Jodi brings decades of experience in higher education, feminism and mentorship, and shares how she’s translating these values into community leadership and career coaching.Together, we explore what it looks like to lead from your values, even in systems that don’t always reward that. Jodi opens up about the grief she feels as DEI efforts are increasingly under attack, but also the hope she sees in those continuing the work. We talk about managing your idealism over the course of a career, how to build coalitions for change from inside large institutions and how to define your legacy through the lives you touch, not just the structures you build. She also shares powerful insights on intergenerational mentorship, networking for values-aligned connection and how to stay grounded when perfectionism and urgency take over.About My GuestDr. Jodi Vandenberg-Daves is a leadership strategist, coach, consultant, facilitator, editor, and author.  Her work with organizations and individuals builds on more than 25 years of experience in higher education, non-profit leadership, authorship, teaching, and mentoring. She empowers leaders and facilitates career journeys for people at all stages, with an emphasis on values, social impact, and creating inclusive communities. She is especially committed to developing diverse women's leadership.  With a doctorate in History, Jodi taught and held leadership roles for many years at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, focusing on systems of privilege and inequality and social change. Her specialties include women’s history and gender, race, and leadership. She also directed her community's Diversity Council.Jodi is the author of Modern Motherhood: An American History (Rutgers University Press, 2014). Her latest book, Leading with Courage: Empowering Women for Impactful Careers, is available for purchase.~Connect with Jodi:Leadership Course: https://www.jodivandenberg-daves.com/onlineleadershipcourseWebsite: https://www.jodivandenberg-daves.com/Book: https://bookshop.org/lists/leading-with-courage-a-career-long-guide-for-idealistic-women~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.co

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore how to make friends in an era of loneliness. My guest this week is Dr. Linda Lin, a psychology professor at Emmanuel College who has spent more than two decades researching and teaching about mental health, happiness and well-being. Through her course, The Psychology of Wellness and Happiness, Linda helps students move beyond surface-level wellness tips to better understand what it really means to live a meaningful and connected life.Together, we talk about the shifting landscape of connection, especially for younger generations, and how technology, the pandemic and evolving social norms have made it harder to build and maintain authentic relationships. Linda shares what she's seeing in her own classroom, from once-lively chatter before class to eerily quiet rooms where students rarely interact, and how that reflects a broader cultural shift. Linda also breaks down the five essential ingredients of strong friendships and how we can use them to deepen existing relationships or build new ones. This conversation offers simple but powerful tools to help you reconnect with yourself and others.About My GuestDr. Linda Lin is an international expert on mental health who has conducted psychological research on well-being, body image, and health behaviors for the past 30 years and has published dozens of scientific journal articles and book chapters. She has given over 65 national and international presentations around the world and is currently a Professor of Psychology at Emmanuel College and was the Director of Social and Emotional Learning for Moms as Mentors. Dr. Lin has been featured in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and Salon.~Connect with Linda:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-lin-a9abb37/ Emmanuel College: https://www.emmanuel.edu/linda-lin ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.com