From Technical Expert to Leader: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome (My Story)

25 ago

If you come from a technical background—whether you are an engineer, developer, specialist, or project lead—that feeling has a name: Imposter Syndrome. It is an extremely common mental trap for STEM professionals making the leap into leadership or stepping into uncharted technical territory.

In this article, I share how I personally experienced this paralyzing self-doubt during my transition to R&D at ABB, along with the practical strategies I use today in my Leadership Coaching for technical professionals to overcome it.

My Story: From Shipbuilding Expert to R&D Panic at ABB

For 7 years, I worked in the shipbuilding industry. Over time, I became deeply specialized in HVAC systems and project execution. I knew the field inside out: what to inspect, how to troubleshoot operational issues, and how to deliver.

Then came the big leap: joining ABB.

Just a few months after starting, I was handed the management of a major Research & Development (R&D) project. For me, it was a double leap into the unknown:

A new domain: Shifting from pure site/project execution to the exploratory dynamics of R&D.
An unfamiliar product: A complex technology I still needed to study and master.

I kept asking myself how I could possibly lead a team of experts on a product they understood 100 times better than I did. My engineering brain desperately tried to "over-study" to regain technical control, but time was against me.

The Turning Point: Redefining Leadership

In that high-stress moment, I had to make a choice: let doubt paralyze me or redefine my role.

I realized that my job as a leader was not to have all the technical answers about the product—the brilliant team was already there for that. My job was to create the conditions for the team to succeed.

I started to:

Ask questions instead of giving orders: I leveraged and honored individual expertise.
Focus on direction and alignment: Clarify goals, remove operational roadblocks, and orchestrate energy.
Embrace vulnerability: Admitting I didn't know everything built genuine trust with my team.

In a short time, we mobilized the team, aligned on goals, and launched the project successfully. That specific experience at ABB became my personal proof of capability: the landmark memory I return to whenever I—or the technical professionals I coach—doubt whether we are "qualified enough" for a new challenge.

Why STEM Professionals Suffer from Imposter Syndrome

For engineers and technical specialists, moving into leadership or new managerial environments is uniquely challenging for three main reasons:

The Illusion of Control: Technical work offers immediate feedback (code runs or crashes; calculations balance or fail). Leadership and R&D management deal with longer timelines, human dynamics, and ambiguity.
The Expert Trap: We are trained to measure our value by what we know. As leaders, we must learn to measure our value by how well we empower others.
The Soft Skills Gap: Technical education focuses heavily on processes and hard data, rarely preparing us for stress management, delegation, and strategic communication.

3 Practical Strategies to Beat Imposter Syndrome

If you are stepping into a management role or leading a project in a field you haven't fully mastered yet, start with these three steps:

1. Separate Expertise from Leadership

A great technical leader is not the most technical person in the room—they are the catalyst who amplifies everyone else's talent. Your added value lies in strategic vision, prioritizing, and facilitating progress.

2. Leverage the "Beginner’s Mindset"

Not knowing every technical detail gives you a fresh perspective. You can ask fundamental questions that long-time insiders overlook, spot bottlenecks, and challenge outdated routines ("we’ve always done it this way").

3. Build Your "Turnaround Archive"

Recall a specific moment in your past when you felt completely unprepared yet still found a way to succeed. Use that memory as an anchor whenever uncertainty strikes.