OVERCOMING THE IMPOSTOR

An entrepreneur advises colleagues suffering from imposter syndrome.

In this debut business book, Kelso acknowledges his own battles with imposter syndrome (or “The Impostor,” as he dubs it) and offers advice for others facing the same challenges to personal and professional success. The author, who founded a consulting business, vividly describes the feeling of being out of his depth, which he confronts even after years at the helm of a company: “I suspected they were just being nice, the way a group of football players lets a little kid run with the ball and everyone pretends to be unable to tackle him.” With examples from his own career and those of others, the book explores how imposter syndrome manifests, its primary causes, and strategies for mitigating its effects. Kelso explains how developing a network of mentors, mentees, and peers in similar circumstances can help entrepreneurs deal with valid concerns and move past their insecurities while not overcorrecting for imposter syndrome and suffering instead from clueless overconfidence. Each chapter concludes with a concise bulleted list summarizing the main takeaways, making the volume useful for quick reference as well as in-depth reading. Kelso is an animated and enthusiastic writer, and the text is full of motivational lines (“When you hear The Impostor saying, ‘You’re about to fake something,’ you should translate that to mean, ‘You’re about to learn something’ ”). While the author is explicit about writing a book aimed at fellow entrepreneurs, with the examples drawn from the leaders of small and growing businesses and advice targeted to them, readers in other fields are likely to find the content helpful as well. Despite the focus on business, Kelso encourages readers to discover a definition of success that extends beyond the boardroom and the bank account, arguing that a holistic approach to achievement is crucial in coping with imposter syndrome. Readers already familiar with strategies for managing the syndrome may find the work too heavy on the basics, but for many, the author’s empathetic and energetic approach does an effective job of concisely presenting valuable and actionable information on a relevant topic.

A well-written guide to establishing confidence.