STEPPING UP Taking on more responsibility or leadership roles in the workplace can be daunting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it
DISREGARD IMPOSTER SYNDROME Imposter syndrome is something that people across all careers, at all levels, will feel at some point, and often, it’s unwarranted. It’s especially prevalent in younger people who are given the opportunity to step up or step forward. Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling of doubt in your own abilities, which makes you feel like a fraud and undeserving of your achievements. Doubting ourselves is natural, but letting it get in the way of our opportunities brings on additional stress that negatively affects our ability to perform relevant tasks, as well as how we feel about ourselves in our down time.
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e all get to a point in our careers where the opportunity arrises to take a step up to the next level, and steps up can often involve an increase in responsibility and leadership. For many people, this can be anxiety inducing: we all have a different idea of what makes a good leader, and there can be a worry within us that we might not live up to our own standards for leadership. Worry, however, is natural, and embracing or overcoming it will allow you to make leaps and bounds in the trajectory of your career as an occupational therapist. Often, especially when we are given opportunities to lead early in our careers, it can be incredibly overwhelming, but that needn’t prevent us from taking these steps, as leadership is a quality which can be learned. What are some basic steps we can take to feel more confident in stepping into positions which require leaderships skills or responsibility?
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DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK There will be times in our careers where we are not the person best suited to answer questions or make recommendations, despite the fact that we are the person responsible or in charge. This is perfectly ok! Part of good leadership is knowing when it’s ok to say that you don’t know the answer to something, or even better, knowing that you have another team member who could answer in your stead. You are not infallible, and being infallible is not something that should ever be expected of you. When you lead a team, you should be aware of the strengths each of your team members has, and how you can optimise your working using their strengths to complement your own. Knowing when to ask people within or outwith your team for help, advice, or guidance is key to being a good leader, and being responsible in your responsibilities.
