75% of Women Execs Feel Like Frauds: 3 Stories of Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome in women is far more common than most people think—even in the C-suite. If you’ve ever looked around a boardroom and thought, “Any minute now they’ll realize I don’t belong,” you’re not alone: a KPMG study found that 75% of female executives have experienced these impostor feelings despite strong evidence of capability. (KPMG Assets)

This article shares three real‑to‑life, anonymized stories of women leaders who moved from self‑doubt to self‑trust — and the practical tools that helped them get there. I’m sharing them because I’ve coached leaders through these exact turning points, and because the strategies here dovetail with what I outline in my new book, Power Without Permission: real stories + practical tools to quiet impostor syndrome and lead with your brilliance.

Why does impostor syndrome hit women leaders so hard?

The “impostor phenomenon” was first named in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, who observed it frequently among high‑achieving women. (Pauline Rose Clance) Today, many researchers and practitioners (myself included) recognize that what feels like a personal confidence gap is often amplified by structural realities — under‑representation, biased feedback loops, and cultures that ask women to prove it again. Harvard Business Review has argued that for many women, feeling like an outsider is often a response to systemic bias, not a personal failing. (Harvard Business Review)

The point: you’re not broken. And there are concrete, repeatable strategies that work.

Story #1 — “I was just lucky”: The VP who stopped discounting her wins

Role: VP of Product, high‑growth SaaS
Pattern: After a major launch beat targets, she credited “luck” and over‑indexed on flaws.
Impact: Hesitated to champion her roadmap; deferred airtime in exec meetings.

The turning point

We built a simple Evidence Vault: a one‑page log of outcomes, contributions, and proof.

• Outcome: New onboarding cut time‑to‑value by 28%
• Contribution: She led the cross‑functional experiment plan
• Proof: Cohort data; customer NPS comments

Meeting prep ritual (5 minutes):

1. Skim the Evidence Vault.
2. Circle one result to highlight.
3. Craft a single sentence that claims credit without apology:
   “The experiment plan I led reduced TTV 28%; next, we’ll A/B the activation emails.”

The result

Within two quarters, she was speaking earlier in exec reviews and getting pulled into strategy offsites. The self‑talk shifted from “I was lucky” to “I drove this result — here’s the proof.”

Try it: Create your Evidence Vault today (Outcome → Your Contribution → Proof). Review it before high‑stakes conversations. (I unpack this further in Power Without Permission.)

Story #2 — “I’m not ready”: The director who stopped waiting for 100%

Role: Senior Director of Operations, global manufacturer
Pattern: Passed on a promotion because she wasn’t “fully qualified”; over‑prepared, under‑asked.
Impact: Visibility stalled; a less experienced peer took the role.

The turning point

We replaced perfection with progress via an Exposure Ladder — four rungs that stretched (not snapped) her comfort zone on public leadership:

• R1: Share a data‑backed point in staff meeting.
• R2: Present a 3‑slide ops update to the business unit.
• R3: Co‑lead the quarterly review with the VP.
• R4: Own the QBR solo.

In parallel, she adopted a Two‑Column Thought Audit before big moments:

• Critic: “If I can’t answer every question, I’ll be exposed.”
• Coach: “I’ve run ops for 8 years. I’ll prep top FAQs, say ‘I’ll follow up’ when needed, and deliver outcomes.”

The result

By quarter’s end, she’d climbed to R4. The promotion conversation reopened — and she stepped in at ~70% ‘ready’, committing to learn the rest on the job. Saying yes before she felt perfect became her new habit.

Try it: Draft a four‑step Exposure Ladder toward one scary but strategic goal. One rung per week. Courage first; competence follows.

Story #3 — “Do I even belong here?”: The CFO who built a visibility habit

Role: First‑time CFO, PE‑backed portfolio company
Pattern: Only woman at the table; minimized her impact; let others speak first and last.
Impact: Her recommendations were often revisited after someone else repeated them.

The turning point

We engineered visibility with a Monthly Impact Note to the CEO/board sponsor:

• 3 bullets with outcomes + metrics
• 1 forward view (risk/opportunity)
• 1 clear ask (resource, decision, or air cover)

In meetings, she practiced claiming language:

• “The cash‑flow scenario my team and I modeled…”
• “The vendor terms I negotiated reduced costs 11%.”

We also put allies to work. Her sponsor explicitly credited her by name when referencing wins and invited her to open on financial strategy.

The result

Her ideas began sticking the first time. The board asked her — not others — for the financial POV. Confidence followed visibility, not the other way around.

Try it: Ship your first Monthly Impact Note this Friday. Keep it to three bullets. (We share templates inside the LeadersAdapt Community if you want peer practice.)

Practical tools you can use this week

• Evidence Vault (10 minutes): Outcome → Your Contribution → Proof. Review before high‑stakes moments.
• Two‑Column Thought Audit (5 minutes): Critic vs. Coach; replace fear with a plan.
• 90‑Second Reset: Box breathing + posture + one line you believe: “I’ve done hard things before.”
• Exposure Ladder: Four rungs toward a stretch goal; one rung per week.
• Monthly Impact Note: Three measurable outcomes; one forward view; one ask.
• Ally Loop: Ask a peer/sponsor to amplify your contributions in meetings — and do the same for them.

These strategies align with findings that feeling supported and fairly valued are among the top factors that reduce impostor feelings for executive women. (KPMG Assets)

You’re not a fraud. You’re under‑credited.

Impostor feelings are common among women leaders — but they are not a verdict on your capability. They’re often the by‑product of high visibility, high stakes, and environments where women are still asked to “prove it again” more than men. The fix is both/and: build personal tools and shape cultures that recognize women’s contributions accurately. (That’s the heart of my work as a male ally, and a key argument made by HBR: fix the places where women work, not just the women. (Harvard Business Review)

If this resonates, I go deeper — with more stories and step‑by‑step playbooks — in Power Without Permission. And if you want weekly practice with peers and scripts you can lift into your next meeting, join the LeadersAdapt Community.

Sources & further reading

• KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report — 75% of executive women have experienced impostor syndrome; support from managers and fair recognition reduces it. (KPMG Assets)
• Clance & Imes (1978) — The original paper naming the “impostor phenomenon” among high‑achieving women. (Pauline Rose Clance)
• Harvard Business Review (2021) — Why labeling women as “impostors” can obscure systemic bias that fuels the feeling. (Harvard Business Review)
  

Next steps: Overcome impostor syndrome in women

If this article resonated, go deeper and get practical support designed specifically to reduce impostor syndrome in women (and the common variant, imposter syndrome in women).

Read the book — Power Without Permission
Learn the full playbooks behind the stories: Evidence Vault, Exposure Ladder, Two-Column Thought Audit, Monthly Impact Note, and Ally Loop—plus scripts and examples you can copy.
→ Learn more / pre-order: https://www.leadersadapt.com/book/

Join the LeadersAdapt Community
Practice with peers, get accountability, and access templates, prompts, and live support so these tools become weekly habits—especially helpful for women navigating high-visibility roles.
→ Join the community: https://www.leadersadapt.com/community/

Start today: pick one strategy (e.g., your first Monthly Impact Note) and apply it this week—then use the book and community to keep building wins.

YOUR JOURNEY STARTS TODAY

Isn’t it time you had an advisory team that truly elevates you!