Forever 25

March 2024 – Feeling Forever 25

On most days I feel 25 inside. I look around and I see tenured, seasoned professionals that have built reputations based on deep expertise. They speak confidently about topics I only partially understand, and I nod politely while I mentally trail behind a step or two. I marvel at what they have accomplished and the places they have been. I wonder what it must be like to have had those experiences.

At 25, I was usually the youngest in the room – by a lot. I often had to quickly prove my worth and display a tough exterior when others questioned my approach. I once asked a manager how I too could facilitate executive offsites and work with C-Suite professionals, and I was told that “having grey hair certainly would help, Rachelle.”

At 25, I knew I was young and inexperienced, and I wanted to be in the room anyway. I wanted to try, make mistakes, get mentored and be challenged.

Twenty years later – I still feel 25.

I have been an Executive Coach to hundreds of leaders (including many CEOs). I regularly work with leadership teams working through complex problems facing their business and workplace cultures. I have built a beautiful professional network around me that I interact with as a peer, and often as a mentor. But somehow, I still feel like the youngest person (or maybe the most inexperienced) in the room, even when I am closer to being the oldest.

I think many would put this feeling in the category of “imposter syndrome.” As a coach, I know how prevalent this feeling is in senior executives. Many seek coaching because they want to eradicate these thoughts and enjoy true confidence. But I am starting to think this feeling – this imposter syndrome - isn’t a bad thing. 

I think this feeling of being inexperienced and doing it anyway reminds us that we are still growing and learning.  It can encourage us to seek help, to deepen our expertise, to admit we are wrong. These are excellent qualities in a leader, and a human.

So, as I sit in the midpoint of my career, I hope that I continue to take risks, make mistakes, and be challenged. I want to be mentored – by someone without a single grey hair on their head. I want to keep feeling like I haven’t figured it out yet – because honestly, who has?

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