In brief: Impostor syndrome does not go away when you succeed. It gets louder. After running a multimillion-pound business and employing over 130 people, I still heard that voice telling me I was a fraud. This article explains why that feeling is actually a sign you are growing.
Let’s get this out in the open: I’ve felt like a complete fraud more times than I can count. You’d think that running a multimillion-pound business, employing over 130 brilliant staff, and helping patients shed more than 21 tonnes of weight would sort your confidence out. But no. That inner voice still pipes up with, “Who do you think you are?”
And I’ll bet my last protein bar you’ve heard that voice too.
If you’re anything like the many business owners I’ve coached and mentored, you’ve battled self-doubt more often than care to recall.
You’ve probably looked around your clinic, seen your staff, your patients, your growing waitlist, and still thought, “Am I just winging this?”
Here’s the thing: you’re not alone. Not by a long way.
The Curse (and Blessing) of Self-Doubt
When I got my first major business breakthrough, the chance to run my own clinic, I thought someone had made a clerical error. There I was, not a medical doctor, but with an MBA (stands for Means Bugger All). I was just a guy who’d lost a load of weight and wanted to help others not be as miserable I had been when I weighed 22 stone.
My confidence? Let’s just say it was about as stable as an IKEA bookcase put together by a four year old.
Fast forward a few years, and I’ve realised something strange: that feeling of being a bit of a fraud? It never goes away entirely. But more importantly, it’s not a bad thing.
I’ve spoken with dozens of business owners, leaders, and managers across the globe, and guess what? They feel the same. Whether you’re running a single site in Stockport or managing a multi-location empire in Dubai, that voice of doubt shows up.
So how do we deal with it?
It turns out, there are two main camps of thought: those who embrace the self-doubt, and those who challenge it head-on. I’ve always been in the latter group, grab the fear by the scruff and show it who’s boss. But I’ve come to appreciate the power of both approaches.
Let’s break them down.
Camp 1: Embrace the Self-Doubt (The Zen Masters)
Now, this lot has got a very “go with the flow” mindset. Instead of trying to wrestle their inner critic into silence, they treat it like an annoying backseat driver, one you acknowledge, thank politely, and then ignore while you floor it down the M6 (for my US friends, the M6 is a major highway in the UK).
One senior leader told me, “The people who should worry about impostor syndrome are the ones who never question themselves.” Brilliant. That hit me like a kettlebell to the chest. Self-doubt, in this sense, is a sign you care. That you’re pushing boundaries. That you’re growing.
Another leader described their self-doubt as a kind of internal compass: “If I’m too comfortable, that’s when I get nervous. It means I’m coasting.” And that’s the last thing any decent business owner wants, right? To coast. To stagnate.
If you’ve built your clinic from scratch, survived recessions, staff shortages, and God knows how many patient cancellations, then you already know: growth only happens outside your comfort zone. And a bit of fear? That’s just the price of admission.
Camp 2: Challenge the Self-Doubt (The Get-Stuck-In Crowd)
This is where I live. I’m a firm believer in kicking self-doubt in the shins and reminding it who paid for the fancy office furniture.
One of the best strategies? Talk about it. Not in a group-therapy-circle way (unless that’s your thing), but just say it out loud. “I feel like a fraud sometimes.” The moment you do, you’ll hear echoes of agreement. Everyone feels it, they’re just not saying it.
Another powerful tactic? Keep receipts. I’m serious. Save those patient thank-you cards and emails, positive reviews, those moments where someone says, “You changed my life.” When the voice of doubt gets loud, read them back. Remind yourself you are making a difference.
Stop comparing yourself to the physio down the road with slick branding and a YouTube channel. Their journey isn’t yours. You’ve got your own wins, your own battles, and your own set of skills that no one else brings to the table.
And if you must “fake it till you make it,” fine, but do it with purpose. One leader told me they just pretend to be the version of themselves they’re trying to grow into. I like that. It’s not pretending to be someone you’re not; it’s showing up as the future you. The one who already owns the room. This strategy is genius in my humble opinion
My Take
Do I still have impostor moments? Absolutely. But they’re fewer and further between these days. And when they do sneak up on me, I’ve got my own little arsenal of strategies to deal with them.
More than anything, I’ve learned that the presence of doubt doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this. In fact, it might just mean you’re exactly the right person to lead.
So whichever camp you’re in, embrace the fear or punch it square in the face, just know this: You’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re not faking it.
You’re just growing.
And growth, my friend, is messy, uncomfortable, and sometimes downright terrifying.
But it’s also what makes you a leader worth following.
