PLEASE NOTE: Earlier Start Time

Topic: The Imposter Illusion: Rethinking Confidence, Competence, and Performance in Leadership

Speaker:  Dr. Rachel Boehm, Ph.D., Organizational Behavior Specialist

Presentation:
Roughly 80% of high-achieving professionals wrestle with imposter thoughts, the persistent belief that their success is undeserved or overblown. Often mislabeled as a “syndrome,” this isn’t a disorder but a cognitive distortion. Basically, your thinking took a wrong turn and now there’s a gap between perception and reality. 

Left unchecked, imposter thoughts can distort how leaders judge their performance and possibilities, fueling perfectionism, overwork, self-doubt, burnout, or reluctance to seek support. These patterns stall professional and personal growth, and ripple into decision-making, team development, and succession planning.

On the other side of the spectrum, overconfidence can be equally distorting, clouding judgment and strategy, and leading to misinformation. 

This session cuts through the stigma and victimization by reframing imposter syndrome as a thinking trap not a personal flaw. Financial executives will learn practical ways to recognize self-doubt in action, manage it strategically, and use it to make better decisions and drive stronger results.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify and differentiate common imposter “types” and recognize how they impact executive decision-making and team dynamics.
2. Reframe imposter thoughts as cognitive biases rather than personal flaws, using practical, evidence-based techniques to spot their thinking traps.
3. Lead with insight – practical strategies for supporting employees who may experience imposter thoughts or low confidence to strengthen performance and team dynamics.

Speaker's Bio

Dr. Rachel is an organizational behavior specialist running a modern change management firm. She helps service-based companies understand the personalities in the room so they can predict and transform behavior in the workplace during times of business transitions (M&A, leadership changes, RIFs, restructuring) or the constant pivots increasingly required throughout the workday (fast paced, high stakes, shifting deadlines and priorities). Dr. Rachel leverages Science-Backed, People-Proven™ strategies to improve the way people naturally respond to change and stress, so people don’t become bottlenecks. As a result, clients enjoy improved morale, engagement, team cohesion, leader-staff dynamics, retention and recruitment, and a culture of sustainable high performance.