The Remarkable Leadership Podcast The Five Imposter Identities with Aoife O’Brien
Have you ever felt like a fraud or doubted your accomplishments? In this episode, Kevin welcomes Aoife O’Brien to discuss the often-misunderstood phenomenon of imposter syndrome. Aoife shares research that led her to identify five distinct imposter identities: The Overachiever, The Comparer, The People Pleaser, The Procrastinator, and The Success Fearer, and explains how these behaviors show up and affect individuals and teams. They also talk about how common imposter syndrome is in the workplace, how it can hurt performance and confidence, and how leaders can recognize and support team members who might be struggling. Aoife also introduces her simple ABCDE framework as a practical tool for overcoming imposter thoughts.
Listen For00:00 Intro to Imposter Syndrome 00:30 Welcome to the Remarkable Leadership Podcast 01:25 Kevin introduces his book “Flexible Leadership” 02:10 Introducing Aoife O’Brien 03:00 Aoife's professional journey and inspiration 05:00 Organizational culture and work fulfillment 06:00 Connecting imposter syndrome to workplace happiness 07:00 Aoife's personal imposter syndrome story 08:30 Being featured in a national newspaper 10:00 Defining imposter syndrome 12:00 The impact on individuals and teams 13:00 Imposter syndrome vs. confidence 14:00 How widespread is imposter syndrome? 15:30 Common triggers and barriers 17:00 What leaders can look for in team behavior 18:40 Examples of behavior linked to imposter syndrome 20:00 Real-world feedback from the audience 21:20 Aoife’s 5 Imposter Identities 23:15 The Overachiever 23:45 The Comparer 25:20 The People Pleaser 26:15 The Procrastinator 28:00 The Success Feeler 30:00 Aoife’s ABCDE Framework 31:00 Acknowledge 31:40 Build Belief 32:30 Courageous Action 33:30 Do It Anyway 34:00 Everyday Practice 35:00 What Aoife does for fun 35:50 What Aoife is reading 36:30 Where to find Aoife online 38:00 Kevin’s “Now What?” challenge to listeners
Aiofe's Story: Aoife O’Brien founded Happier at Work in 2019 because she witnessed firsthand the impact of poor workplace culture on both organizations and employees. Using her research-based Happier at Work framework, she partners with Global Talent & HR Leaders to cultivate human-centered workplace cultures that prioritize wellbeing, career growth, and meaningful impact. She supports employees to build their confidence, gain career clarity and reach their full potential, while driving increased engagement and retention in organizations. Her clients hire her to speak, train and deliver corporate programs. She has worked with global organizations like Meta, MSD, Ciena, AbbVie, Logitech, and HubSpot. Her award-winning podcast, Happier at Work®, has a global audience of over 125k.
This Episode is brought to you by...Flexible Leadership is every leader’s guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.
Book Recommendations- The Happiness Trap (Second Edition): How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris
- Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence by Kevin Eikenberry
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