How to use self-doubt to your advantage

Nearly 70% of people experience imposter syndrome—including some of the most successful people alive. Adam Grant explains how to stop letting self-doubt burn you out and start using it as fuel for success.

Before You Start

Goal: Reframe imposter syndrome from something that holds you back to something that can actually fuel your growth — with help from Adam Grant's research.

Meeting Agenda · Approx. 60 mins

  • Member Updates · 10 mins
  • Icebreaker · 10 mins
  • Key Takeaways · 5 mins
  • Discussion Questions · 20 mins
  • Write It Down · 2 mins
  • One Action · 10 mins
  • Wrap-Up · 5 mins

👋 Member Updates · 10 mins

Go around your Circle and share personal updates. Keep them brief and focused on significant changes or important decisions since the last time you met. It's OK not to have one every month. If you have a One Action update from last time, share that too.

🧊 Icebreaker · 10 mins

Invite everyone in the group to share. Keep answers to one or two minutes per person.

What's a moment you felt totally confident at work, and what made you feel confident in that situation?

💡 Key Takeaways · 5 mins

Nearly 70% of people experience imposter syndrome, including some of the most accomplished people alive. Adam Grant's research reframes what to do with it.

  • Imposter syndrome is nearly universal. 70% of high achievers experience self-doubt and imposter syndrome at times.
  • Imposter syndrome can become a strength. People who channel their self-doubt into effort — rather than avoidance — often outperform those who don't feel it at all. Handled correctly, self-doubt can motivate better preparation, more careful thinking, and greater humility.
  • There's a difference between healthy and unhealthy self-doubt. The latter can paralyze you and stop you from taking action, even when you're ready for it.
  • Responding differently is a learnable skill. Noticing the self-doubt, questioning its claims, and choosing action anyway is something you can practice until it becomes more automatic.

💬 Discussion Questions · 20 mins

Move through the questions at the pace that suits your Circle. You don't need to cover every one. Pick the prompts that resonate most.

  1. In which workplace situation do you feel the most self-doubt? How can you use that feeling to motivate you to higher performance?
  2. In the past, when has self-doubt actually helped you prepare better, try harder, or stay humble?
  3. When has self-doubt limited you or stopped you pursuing your goals? What would you do differently now?
  4. Think of an upcoming situation that sparks your self-doubt. What can you do to turn that feeling into fuel: Can you prepare better, or bring a more humble and curious mindset?

✍️ Write It Down · 2 mins

Take a few minutes to connect the discussion to your own life.

Think about the times self-doubt helped you — made you more prepared, more careful, or more curious — and about the times when self-doubt limited you. What made the difference between those two types of situations? What can you learn from that?

🎯 One Action · 10 mins

Commit to one concrete action — big or small — you'll take before next meeting. Go around the Circle and share (1 minute or less per member). Vocalizing it helps hold each other accountable.

The next time self-doubt shows up, what's one way you plan to respond positively and use your self-doubt to drive success?

📅 Wrap-Up · 5 mins

Before you break, plan your next meeting and close on an energetic note. Go around your Circle one by one and finish the sentence:

Now I am feeling… (choose one word).

  • Set the day, time, and location
  • Choose the next topic or resource
  • Confirm who's leading the discussion
  • Decide how you'll stay in touch in between