To be a woman in STEM is to be an icon. If you need a reminder, watch the April 2024 webinar recording on “ICONIC Confidence” with Tanya Geisler. Geisler is a celebrated women’s leadership expert, executive coach, TEDx, and keynote speaker.
In her presentation, she identifies behavioral traits of the imposter complex and describes how her ICONIC framework can combat those ideas. ICONIC is an acronym that stands for identity, confront, optimize, network, implement, and celebrate.
Imposter syndrome, or the imposter complex as Geisler mentions, can come in waves and at different points of your career. When they appear, we may find ourselves exhibiting one or more of these six traits:
- People-pleasing
- Leaky boundaries
- Comparison
- Diminishment
- Procrastination
- Perfectionism
Once we identify the most prevalent trait, Geisler suggests we use these coping mechanisms to find and discover our leadership edge. She describes six ICONIC identities, or leadership profiles, that can help define our leadership styles.
Knowing your ICONIC identity can empower you to confront the imposter complex. Ask and answer these questions: Is this a realistic objection or obstacle? Is this a limiting belief? Is it coming from an actual critic? Figure out what is going on and what is trying to keep you out of action.
Next, you want to optimize your authority. This means thinking about the things that you have done, won, survived, and healed from. It’s the experience that helped shape who you are today. From this, you can be clear about your strengths and track your wins. Seeking external proof becomes easy.
Network with people who amplify your voice and presence. It’s important to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who can help you grow in your career.
Now that you’ve researched the source of your imposter complex, implement changes in your life. Geisler says, “There is no other way to have that kind of iconic confidence that we are looking for if we don’t actually do the work.”
And don’t forget to celebrate yourself. Celebration reminds us of the goodness in ourselves. Even the smallest achievement is worthy of a celebration.
To learn more about Tanya Geisler’s ICONIC framework and take her ICONIC identity quiz, click here.
Jade Forde is a Marketing Specialist at AWIS. She graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s in communication and master’s degree in digital strategy from the University of Florida. She has almost 10 years of experience in social media, content creation, website maintenance, online communities, graphic design, newsletters, and email marketing.
This article was originally published in AWIS Magazine. Join AWIS to access the full issue of AWIS Magazine and more member benefits.