Imposter Syndrome in Coaching: When Confidence Isn’t the Problem

4 Aug

You’re leading class. Someone hits a PR. Another thanks you for the perfect cue. You nod, smile, but inside, there’s a quiet voice: “They have no idea I’m just winging it.”

Later, you’re re-watching your own demo video, cringing at your posture, wondering if someone’s going to “catch you.” That voice? It’s not truth. It’s a pattern.

Welcome to imposter syndrome - something almost every coach experiences, but few talk about.

What Is Imposter Syndrome, Clinically?

Coined by psychologists Clance and Imes (1978), imposter phenomenon refers to the internal experience of feeling like a fraud, despite objective evidence of competence or success. It’s characterised by:

Chronic self-doubt
Fear of being “found out”
Discounting praise or positive feedback
Overworking to “prove” oneself
Minimising achievements as luck, timing, or charm

While it’s not a diagnosable disorder, imposter syndrome is linked to anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout, especially in high-achieving, feedback-heavy environments (Sakulku & Alexander, 2011).

🧠 Psych Note: Imposter syndrome is often not about lack of ability. It’s a mismatch between external performance and internal self-concept.

Why It’s Common in Coaches

CrossFit coaches are constantly being observed, evaluated, and compared - by athletes, peers, and even themselves. The job often includes a mix of physical performance, public speaking, programming knowledge, leadership, and emotional regulation.

That’s a lot of roles to feel “qualified” in.

Imposter syndrome is especially common in coaches who:

Recently transitioned from athlete to coach
Are early in their career
Are women or underrepresented identities in male-dominant spaces
Work without formal qualifications or feel “non-traditional” in their pathway
Grew up with criticism, perfectionism, or conditional praise

...imposter syndrome can be a quiet, daily undercurrent.

And because coaching is so relational, many don’t speak about it for fear it will undermine trust. CrossFit culture can value certainty, confidence, and presence, so many feel pressured to hide imposter thoughts rather than explore them. But silence only reinforces the illusion that everyone else feels solid, when most don’t.

What It Sounds Like in Your Head

Imposter syndrome rarely says, “You're a fraud.” It sounds more subtle and believable:

“I’m not really qualified to teach this.”
“I shouldn’t charge that much, I’m not a real expert.”
“I just got lucky with that result.”
“If I was actually good, I’d feel more confident.”
“I don’t know enough to be here.”
“Other coaches are more experienced.”
“They’re only praising me because they like me.”

🧠 These thoughts are sticky because they contain a mix of insecurity and partial truth. But they rarely tell the full story. They aren’t proof of fraudulence. They’re a distorted lens shaped by fear, not fact.

How It Shows Up in Coaching Behavior

It’s not just internal. Coaches with imposter patterns often:

Over-prepare or over-deliver to avoid being judged
Undervalue their time or services
Avoid applying for new opportunities or speaking in groups
Take feedback personally, even when it’s neutral
Dismiss athlete praise or redirect compliments
Avoiding visibility: social media, mentorship, or speaking roles
Comparing themselves to “real” coaches with more credentials or confidence

And paradoxically, many of the best coaches - curious, thoughtful, humble - are most prone to it (Sakulku & Alexander, 2011).

Red Flags That It’s Becoming a Problem

Occasional doubt is normal. But chronic imposter syndrome can lead to:

Emotional exhaustion
Workaholism
Avoidance of visibility or leadership roles
Depressive symptoms or burnout
Fear-based coaching (rigid, perfectionistic, or disconnected)

If you notice these signs, consider supervision or therapy. Imposter thoughts are common, but they don’t have to run the show.

Imposter Syndrome Is Not About Confidence. It’s About Lenses.

Many of these internal narratives are shaped early in life. We build schemas - core beliefs about worth, adequacy, and failure - based on how we were treated, encouraged, criticised, or praised. These become lenses through which we interpret new experiences.

You might have the skills, results, and respect, but if your lens is clouded by beliefs like “I must not make mistakes” or “If I slow down, I’ll be exposed,” the imposter thoughts will follow you.

That’s why talking to a psychologist can help. Not because you’re broken, but because therapy allows you to clean the lens - or swap it for one that reflects your current reality, not outdated fears.

You don’t have to fix imposter syndrome by pushing through. You can shift how you see.

5 Evidence-Based Tools to Work With Imposter Syndrome

1. Name the Pattern, Not the Person

Imposter syndrome isn’t an identity - it’s a cognitive distortion. You are not “an imposter.” You are a professional experiencing imposter thoughts.

🧠 Practice: When the voice says, “You don’t belong here,” reframe with: “This is the old ‘I’m not good enough story’ showing up. It doesn’t mean is true. ” Externalising the pattern creates distance and space to respond differently.

2. Anchor to Objective Feedback

Subjective confidence fluctuates. Build your self-assessment on external, trackable data.

Examples:

Client retention rates
Athlete progress over time
Formal credentials or continuing education
Consistent, unsolicited praise or rebookings

🧠 Keep a small log. Patterns over time > one-off impressions. Evidence interrupts emotional overgeneralising.

3. Use the “Competence-Discomfort” Paradox

Imposter syndrome often increases with competence, not incompetence. The more you know, the more aware you are of what you don’t know.

This is consistent with the Dunning-Kruger effect (Kruger & Dunning, 1999): early-stage learners overestimate themselves. Advanced learners underestimate because they grasp the complexity. The more expertise you develop, the more you realise what you don’t know. That discomfort is normal in skilled professionals, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re growing.

🧠 Doubt often increases with competence, not the other way around.

4. Create a “Reality File”

When you receive a compliment, screenshot a message, get positive feedback - record it.

Practice: Keep a private folder, journal entry, or voice memo with real-world evidence. Revisit it when imposter thoughts show up.

On low days, it’s easy to forget the impact you’ve had. Your imposter voice relies on selective memory. Your reality folder brings balance back.

🧠 This builds an internal reference system rooted in reality, not emotion.

5. Talk About It, But Not With Just Anyone

Vulnerability with the wrong audience reinforces shame. But talking about imposter thoughts with peers, mentors, or a psychologist creates perspective and connection.

🧠 Tip: Start with finding other coaches you respect. Ask: “Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough even when you knew your stuff?” You’ll likely find the answer is yes, and often from people who seem the most confident.

Final Thought: Confidence Follows Clarity

You don’t need to feel confident every day to be an effective coach. But if imposter thoughts are a regular companion, it may be time to look at the lens you’re using to evaluate yourself.

These patterns often have roots in personal history - how you were treated, taught, or praised. The nervous system remembers environments where approval was conditional, competence was questioned, or failure was punished. Over time, that becomes your default lens: one that filters out positive evidence and magnifies perceived flaws.

🧠 Working with a psychologist can help you explore where those lenses came from, and whether they still serve you. Sometimes it’s not about adding more skills or experience. It’s about swapping out the scratched glasses you’ve been wearing, and learning to see yourself more clearly.

Let the work speak. Let the relationships speak. Let the results speak.

And when doubt shows up? Meet it with awareness, not panic.

Because if you care this much about doing a good job, you’re probably doing better than you think.

References

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121

Sakulku, J., & Alexander, J. (2011). The impostor phenomenon. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 6(1), 73–92.

Valentina Pierangeli