How you can use impostor syndrome to your benefit | Mike Cannon-Brookes

Summary

In this candid talk, the speaker reflects on his journey from starting a business with no prior experience to achieving global success. He shares his personal struggles with impostor syndrome, detailing moments when he felt out of his depth—whether in business meetings, unexpected awards, or even life decisions. Through humor and humility, he reveals that even successful people often feel like frauds. He encourages others to embrace these feelings, learn from them, and use them as a catalyst for growth, while emphasizing the importance of questioning oneself and seeking advice to overcome challenges.

Takeaways

• 😀 Feeling like an impostor is common, even among highly successful people.
• 😀 Success doesn’t eliminate self-doubt; it’s often the opposite, with even more doubts at higher levels of achievement.
• 😀 Impostor syndrome is not just about fear of failure, but a persistent feeling of being a fraud who will eventually be 'caught'.
• 😀 You don’t need to have it all figured out, and it’s okay to feel out of your depth.
• 😀 When feeling unsure or unqualified, asking for advice is a valuable tool for overcoming imposter syndrome.
• 😀 Impostor syndrome can be turned into a motivating force by choosing to learn and adapt rather than freeze in fear.
• 😀 Successful people regularly question their ideas and seek out guidance, acknowledging they don't have all the answers.
• 😀 Personal life, like professional life, can trigger feelings of being out of one's league, but these feelings can be beneficial for growth.
• 😀 It's important not to freeze in challenging situations but to use them as opportunities to learn and improve.
• 😀 Vulnerability in relationships, whether personal or professional, can lead to greater connection and success.
• 😀 Real success comes not from avoiding mistakes but from harnessing discomfort, learning from it, and continuing to push forward.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's experience in the transcript?

The main theme revolves around the speaker’s personal experience with impostor syndrome, the feeling of being out of depth and unqualified despite achieving success in business and personal life.

What led the speaker to start their business?

The speaker and their co-founder, Scott, started their business with the goal of not having to get a traditional job and avoiding wearing a suit to work every day.

How does the speaker describe their feeling about impostor syndrome?

The speaker describes impostor syndrome as feeling like a fraud, often not knowing what they are doing, and fearing that someone will eventually expose their lack of qualifications or experience.

What example does the speaker give from the early days of their company to illustrate impostor syndrome?

One example is when the speaker had to interview an HR manager despite never having worked in a company with an HR department, leading to feelings of uncertainty and fear about the interview.

How did the speaker react to winning the New South Wales Entrepreneur of the Year award?

The speaker was initially surprised and didn’t attend the awards ceremony, but later traveled to the national awards where they won the Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, followed by the Australian Entrepreneur of the Year award.

What realization did the speaker have after speaking to Belmiro de Azevedo at the World Entrepreneur of the Year event?

The speaker realized that even highly successful entrepreneurs feel the same way, suggesting that impostor syndrome is common and does not go away with success.

How does the speaker relate their experience of impostor syndrome to their personal life?

The speaker relates it to their personal life by sharing how they felt out of their league when they first met their wife, which is common in successful relationships when both partners feel like they are ‘out of their league’.

What humorous incident involving the speaker occurred in the Qantas lounge?

The speaker was mistaken for someone else by a woman who thought he was someone she knew, which led to a conversation and eventually resulted in him taking her to the awards ceremony. This woman later became his wife.

How did the speaker handle a situation where he was questioned about his knowledge on industrial-scale batteries?

The speaker was initially unprepared, but instead of freezing, he sought out information, talked to experts, and learned about the subject, ultimately contributing to a national conversation on energy and renewables.

What key lesson does the speaker want to convey about impostor syndrome and success?

The speaker emphasizes that impostor syndrome is common, even among successful people, and the key to overcoming it is not to freeze but to embrace learning, seek advice, and turn the fear into a motivating force for growth.