The Impostor Syndrome Files
Do you ever feel like a fraud? Struggle with chronic self-doubt? Wonder if you really deserve your role?
You’re not alone. As a leadership coach who’s battled impostor syndrome myself, I created this podcast to provide a place where professionals can share their stories, shed the silent shame and feel seen.
Each episode features honest conversations with professionals from all walks of life who’ve faced impostor syndrome and found ways to move through it. We’ll also hear from experts who share practical strategies for managing ourselves and shaping environments that reduce the threat of impostor syndrome.
Let’s erase the stigma. Let’s stop pretending we’re the only ones. And let’s come together to share, support and rise above the fear that keeps us playing small.
The Impostor Syndrome Files
Rethinking High Performance
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we dive into the psychology behind high performance with developmental theorist Max Stephens. Max’s work is rooted in a bold premise: the greatest chokehold on any business or career isn’t the market or the competition, it’s our own personal psychology. And until we understand and address that, we’ll continue to get in our own way.
Together we explore the hidden forces that shape high performers, from early emotional wounds that fuel relentless ambition to the dysfunctional patterns that drive success but undermine fulfillment. Max shares why so many achievers feel an insatiable need to “get there” yet never arrive, and how shifting from self-focused achievement to contribution-focused growth changes everything.
We also examine the deeper purpose of personal development as self-transcendence, how expanding our “circles of concern” leads to more meaningful leadership and why forgiveness, mortality awareness and radical honesty are essential starting points for transformation. Finally, Max offers powerful insights into how we can break free from cultural narratives, reorient our goals around contribution and create ripple effects of positive change in the people and systems around us.
About My Guest
Max Stephens is a personal development coach, speaker, philosopher and author of What the F*ck Do You Really Want? who works with executives, entrepreneurs, and high performers who have achieved traditional success but still feel something is missing. Through a sharp, no-BS approach, he dismantles outdated success narratives, helping individuals discover their authentic contribution—the key to unlocking their deepest potential. Blending philosophy, psychology, and real-world application, Max’s work isn’t about abstract theory; it’s about guiding people to a tangible, measurable way of living at their highest level. His book and coaching provide a roadmap for those ready to move beyond materialism and into a life of true meaning and significance.
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Connect with Max:
Website: MaxStephensCoaching.com
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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:
Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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