Fear and anxiety are not flaws, they are built into how the brain protects you. The problem is that the same response designed to deal with real danger is now triggered by presentations, decisions and pressure at work, creating a reaction that feels far bigger than the situation itself.

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Some days feel harder than they should, even when everything is going well. For leaders, this can feel like a setback, but often it’s a sign that your baseline has shifted and you’re no longer used to operating at higher levels of stress.

Fear rarely presents itself clearly in leadership, but it sits underneath more than most people realise. Whether it’s presenting, stepping into a bigger role or making a high-stakes decision, the reaction can feel out of proportion to the situation. The issue isn’t capability, it’s how the brain is interpreting the risk.

In Spiderman: Homecoming, Peter Parker says, “I’m nothing without the suit,” and Tony Stark replies, “Then you shouldn’t be wearing it.” It’s a line that stays with you, because many leaders question the same thing. Impostor syndrome rarely comes from lack of ability, it comes from relying on the role, the title or the ‘suit’ rather than feeling certain in who you are underneath it.