“Welcome, Prince,” said Aslan. “Do you feel yourself sufficient to take up the Kingship of Narnia?”
“I—I don’t think I do, Sir,” said Caspian. “I am only a kid.”
“Good,” said Aslan. “If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been proof that you were not.”
— C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian
What is it about leadership that creates impostor syndrome? Imposter syndrome is the sense that the individual is not worthy of the role they are inhabiting and instead has arrived there by mistake or through flawed assessments. This is extraordinarily common in leaders of all kinds and has special impact on those in ministry. It has significant comorbidity with anxiety, depression, isolation, and burn out.
C. S. Lewis describes this sense of being unworthy as one of the things that qualify us for leadership. In my own experience, those who are most confident are frequently those who don’t see the situation they are in clearly. Uncertainty is a side effect of humility, and both are often results of wisdom (Phil. 2:3). Is the good leader doomed therefore, to feel that they are an impostor?
The heart of this problem is frequently a faulty understanding of what leadership includes and who a true leader is. For example, most early leadership theories, including trait and behavioral leadership, see leadership as a solitary pursuit frequently done by someone who was born to lead with certain advantages not gifted to the general populace. The idea of a singular hero pushing into the wind and creating a place for those who follow is a beautiful myth, and like most myths, it has more to do with the ideal story created after the leader is long gone than with the reality of the leader’s experience. One of the most damaging stereotypes of good leadership is the idea that leaders must do the work alone.
A rarely discussed theory of leadership sheds some light on this problem and can act as a starting place for many in creating a healthier picture of what leadership can be. Followership has historically been understood as a side effect of leadership and was first studied as its own theory explicitly in 2007, though Robert Kelley began discussing this as far back as 1988. Followership posits the absolute dependence leaders have on high quality followers. Following well may be more important to quality leadership outcomes than the leader’s individual qualities and abilities. If this is the case, then the focus on the leader as primary is a false lead in understanding what is required to create meaningful change and cultural impact.
Since then, followership theory has gradually become more popular; however, comparing the amount of effort spent examining leadership to followership makes it clear that there is a gap in interest. Modern leadership theorists frequently give lip service to the idea that leaders require followers, but in a practical sense they ignore the beta role in favor of the more glamorous alpha role.
In ministry and in leadership the reality is significantly different. None of us arrives in any role fully formed. Leaders grow into roles through trial and error and intentional and unintentional mentorship. The best leaders are those who are also good at following because that is where much of the necessary learning takes place. Our culture recognizes this fact by paying for public education and requiring children to attend classes until they reach a certain level of mastery. Learning is key to leadership of any kind. What is needed for leadership varies by culture and community, but there is not a community on earth that assumes (even when the leader is believed to be the reincarnation of a former leader) an infant is prepared to lead. Historically these young leaders are surrounded by advisors and tutors.
A leader is not independent of followers. In fact, the first few followers signal that a leader is worth paying attention to. Without followers, leaders are just mad-eyed prophets; with the addition of followers, a leader becomes a force to be reckoned with.1 The power of leadership, therefore, lies not in the leader but in those who choose to follow.
Christ gives an example of the shaping power of followers in Matthew 5:39: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (NIV). Consider the dysfunction that frequently results from an improper application of “turning the other cheek.” Abuse occurs when this concept is used to control the behavior of those on the receiving end of violence (social, political, physical, emotional, and spiritual). If this text is simply instructing His followers to respond to violence with passive acceptance, He does so in a strange way. Christ explicitly says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek . . . ” This is curious. Why is He being so specific? If He only meant for us to accept abuse or punishment and keep going, He wouldn’t have been intentional here. What are some historical contexts that could explain the reason for this?
Historically the left hand has been seen as less desirable than the right hand. (“Sinister” is literally the term for the left hand.) In the Middle East, the left hand is traditionally reserved for unclean activities. This means that social interaction of any kind happens using the right hand. If an individual is limited to using only the right hand, then any hitting happens most naturally on the left cheek of the receiver. To hit another person on the right cheek, the best method is to use a backhand slap. This kind of violence is not used between equals. If someone backhands another person, they are treating the backhanded person as someone who is beneath them. Historically this happened to women and slaves. Christ isn’t talking to the leader in this text. He is speaking to followers. The woman or slave who is being told to turn the other cheek is not being passive. Equals are punched on the left cheek; underlings are backhanded on the right cheek. If the receiver is turning their other cheek, they are asking the perpetrator to treat them as an equal—in essence stating, “If you want to hit me, hit me, but I am not less valuable or important than you are.” A slave or woman cannot hit back, but turning the other cheek gives them an opportunity to question the behavior of the person in authority.
What does this have to do with the imposter syndrome leaders often experience? Relationships that are built over time create opportunities for honest feedback. Leaders who can’t be questioned create systems that hide their faults and failures. When leaders surround themselves with followers who specialize in followership (and not “yes-men”), they can rely on the followers to help them identify weaknesses, encourage growth, and maintain accountability.
In recent years, we have observed the fallout from the implosions of large ministries that have been devastated by the failure—not just of the leading pastor but of those around him—to hold leaders accountable: Mark Driscoll (Christianity Today, 2021), Bill Hybel (Goodstein, 2018), and Ravi Zacharias (Silliman & Shellnutt, 2021), to name a few. Accountability can feel like a burden, but the connections and relationships required to allow accountability are more frequently a source of joy than suffering. Leaders regularly complain of a sense of isolation as part of the burden of leadership. Though this can be true, it is often more a symptom of the leader’s behaviors and expectations than a natural outcome of leadership. Accountability style relationships require an additional component beyond time, and this is where many leaders fail.
It is not enough for leaders to spend time with those who follow them. This time can be used to bolster a false impression of the leader’s perfection. Accountability is impossible without vulnerability. This concept is not new. Dr. Brené Brown (2015) has built a career on the value of vulnerability in creating touch points, community, resilience, wholehearted living, and social connections. A leader must choose to be honest and authentic. This means sharing imperfections carefully with those who have proven both reliable and wise. As one practices vulnerability, opportunities are created to build potential leaders within the community who imitate the model of humility and desire to grow. This allows followers to begin giving the kind of support and feedback that frees the leader from a sneaking suspicion of being unable to do the work that is ahead.
When surrounded by reliable followers, feedback assures the leader of their effectiveness and also provides support for the work. It’s not enough for a leader to lead. Leaders are best equipped when challenged with someone else to mentor and to lead in the areas they need growth in. Put simply, doing the work of both a leader and a follower prevents us from becoming too confident or failing due to lack of confidence or experience.
God has designed humans to work best within a community. In Genesis 2:18, we read, “It is not good for man to be alone” (NLV). This statement about humanity was made at the point of creation when humanity was still in perfect condition. Nothing has changed about this design. A community is a requirement for humans to function well, leaders included. Such community requires constant interactions, both as leaders and as followers. Roles are never as simplistic as many leadership theories would imply. If a leader is isolated, the best way to correct this is to become a follower. Find a mentor. Look for someone who excels at something. Be brave, ask questions, and admit to uncertainty. When looking for quality followers (and potential accountability partners), look for people who are good at solving problems, work well independently, and ask hard questions. (Be aware that these people are often those who make a leader with imposter syndrome nervous. They may feel too smart or too capable to be vulnerable.) Again, as when seeking a mentor, this work requires courage, curiosity, and a willingness to admit uncertainty.
Having found both mentors and quality followers as the first step, spending time with these people is the heart of this work. Be honest about what you wrestle with and what your joys and sorrows are. Research is still evolving into effective methods to treat impostor syndrome. Biblical modeling speaks to the importance of living as an active part of a community. Dr. Bravata and her cohort (2020) reviewed the current research publications and discovered that there are many different suggestions for treating impostor syndrome, from cognitive behavioral therapy to community engagement to traditional therapy. Significant research needs to be done in this area to determine which recommendation has the best outcomes; however, when looking over the behaviors it seems likely that isolation is both a symptom and a cause of impostor syndrome.
When a leader feels the need to hide perceived incompetencies, it results in social isolation; that social isolation increases the leader’s sense of inadequacy and reinforces the basic perfectionistic tendencies without anyone to compare their expectations, successes, and failures with. The acquisition of a mentor can help to break through this reinforcing cycle by providing a safe place to ask “dumb” questions and to improve actual competencies and address unreasonable personal expectations. Followership theory posits that it is through working with quality followers that the leader achieves the kind of competency and impact that also impacts the leader’s sense of self and agency, which also would help address the sense of the self as impostor.
You don’t need to worry about having secret faults when you’re surrounded by people who can see your faults and love you anyway. More importantly, these secret faults will either be healed over time or will be reduced by supplementation from people who have different strengths in your community or, perhaps most beautifully, will become motivation to fuel your ministry in a more powerful way.
Impostor syndrome, when left unaddressed, results in depression, anxiety, social isolation, and burnout. Isolation in leadership does the same thing. It is not good for human beings to be alone. Building relationships and honestly sharing the load transforms the leadership experience.
Kari Gibbs Prouty is the director for the Andrews University Undergraduate Leadership Program and a faculty member in the Andrews School of Leadership. She has worked as a pastor, a chaplain, and as an academy instructor. She has a passion for combining faith and practice and is most interested in building bridges of mutual understanding between disparate communities.
References
Bravata D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O., & Hagg. H. K. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
Brown, B. (2015). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Avery.
Christianity Today. (2021, 22 June). The rise and fall of Mars Hill [Audio podcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/id1569401963
Goodstein, L. (2018, 9 Aug.). How the Willow Creek Church scandal has stunned the Evangelical world. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/us/evangelicals-willow-creek-scandal.html
Kelley, R. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1988/11/in-praise-of-followers
Lewis, C. S. (1994). Prince Caspian: The return to Narnia (1st ed.). HarperCollins. Silliman, D., & Shellnutt, K. (2021, 11 Feb.). Ravi Zacharias hid hundreds of pictures of women, abuse during massages, and a rape allegation. Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/february/ravi-zacharias-rzim-investigation-sexual-abuse-sexting-rape.html
1 A fun example of this is demonstrated in this video: First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ