Today, my professional day was bookended by two perfectly complementary events.
It started with an online call with Caroline Barlow my co-chair at HTRT and Freddie from Schools Week about our new joint adventure.
At the end of the day I led an online session for CVP Group as part of their collaboration with WomenEd to develop women coaches. This evening's session was on imposter syndrome and bloody hell do I feel equipped to deliver on this.
One of the videos we watched was Reshma Saujani's inspiring Commencement speech at Smith in 2023. If you haven't ever seen it, have a watch. You'll never look at bicycles in the same way again.
Poly Styrene, singer and instigator of early punk band X-ray Spex did not seem to suffer from imposter syndrome herself. She was an extremely rare and precious jewel, sadly lost to cancer in 2011; she was 53. I am currently 53.
Legend is that her father was a dispossessed Somali aristocrat; in reality he was a Somali-born docker. She was raised by her white single mum in London and later changed her name from Marianne Joan Elliot-Said to Poly Styrene as it sounded light and disposable.
Absolutely unique: a Black woman punk, wearing braces on her teeth and dayglo clothes, she really didn't give a shit.
Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard
But I think "oh bondage, up yours!"
So I am reflecting on why, after 30 years as a teacher; over 20 as a senior leader and 10 as a headteacher I still suffer from imposter syndrome. I still believe that someone will catch me out and reveal my fraudulent self to the world.
There are far too many of us that feel this way. Partly, this was a contributing factor to WomenEd being established and why so many identify and resonate with it still. It is certainly why, at our very first Unconference, Sue Cowley's plea for us all to be just ten percent braver had such a profound impact. Indeed, it is still our moto and included in our first two books: 10% Braver and Being 10% Braver Check them out; they're brilliant.
I am minded to remember the amazing primary headteacher I met, who explained that when she applied for her first headship post, got through to the last two but didn't get it, she didn't apply for another headship post for nearly seven years.
Or the outstanding female leader who talked herself out of applying for a promotion because she couldn't tick off every single statement on the person spec; her male colleague had under half, and still applied.
I've mused before about punk being predominantly a movement of bands, of groups, and not of individuals. Being punk is all about being part of a team and perhaps this is how we can collaborate to banish our imposter syndrome. That's why being the co-chair of Headteachers' Roundtable and part of the strategic group for WomenEd is so important to me. Being part of a school and trust team is essential. I need to follow my own bloody advice and be ten percent braver.
Afterall, feeling weighed down by imposter syndrome is bondage. And as Poly would say, "up yours!"
Related Posts
