What if the biggest barrier to your confidence isn’t your capability, but your identity?

In this episode of the Connected Leadership Podcast, Rich and Dave explore a familiar but rarely addressed experience: stepping into a more senior role yet still feeling like you don’t quite belong there.

Despite the promotion, the track record, and the external validation, many leaders still carry an internal narrative of self-doubt. Often described as imposter syndrome, this experience isn’t about a lack of competence. It’s about an identity gap.

Drawing on the Zentano Confidence Compass, Rich explains how confidence is shaped by the interaction between competence and self-worth, and why these don’t always move in sync. The episode focuses on the “self-doubter mask”, a pattern where leaders underplay both their capability and the value they bring, particularly under pressure.

Through practical examples, personal reflection, and simple micro-practices, this conversation offers a grounded way to shift from “performing a role” which can be unreliable to genuinely owning it and therefore being authentic and more stable.

As part of the Confidence in Leadership series, this episode highlights a core idea: leadership confidence isn’t about pretending or pushing harder. It’s about developing a more accurate, balanced, and connected relationship with yourself.

Key Talking Points

• Why confidence gaps often persist after promotion or success
• The difference between competence and self-worth, and how they interact
• Understanding the “identity gap” behind imposter syndrome
• The “self-doubter mask” and how it shows up under pressure
• Why social media may amplify self-doubt through unhealthy comparison
• The shift from performing a role to owning it
• The concept of the “connected centre” and grounded leadership presence
• Practical micro-practices: reframing, preparation, and reflection