Do you feel like a fake?

Many talented, high achieving and hard working men and women feel that they don't deserve the success that they have. The higher they move in their organization the more they feel that they are impostors, and that at any moment they are going to be discovered for the fakes that they are.

This symptom is actually quite common. One reason: we are all constantly pressured to act in ways that do not reflect our true selves.

Another reason: being raised by parents who focus too much on achievement while providing little emotional warmth. And if you want an extra dose of imposture, be the first born, and have your parents' heightened expectations of your future success thrown on your shoulders.

If you're a high achiever, it's likely you experience this. And so do many of your team members. As with many things the solution is simple but not easy: go easy on yourself. Don't be a perfectionist, and see criticism as an opportunity to learn and improve rather than an attempt to expose you and doom your career.

There's no black or white, only shades of grey.