Reject Imposter Syndrome with Purpose
Reject Imposter Syndrome with Purpose
In 1995, Erik Spoelstra, joined the NBA basketball team, Miami Heat as a summer video coordinator. Through hard work, he became Miami’s head coach in 2008.
Recently, the Portland Trail Blazers celebrated Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage during their game against the Miami Heat.
Despite being a 2x NBA Championship coach, Miami’s all-time winningest coach and the NBA’s second-longest tenured coach, Spoelstra’s quote before the game stood out to me:
I feel a sense of pride of my heritage and I’ve hoped that it can inspire others to dream big…
I definitely used to feel that when I first became head coach, that it didn’t feel like I fit the mode of what a head coach looks like. So I probably had some imposter syndrome from that. Eventually I got to a point where I just embraced it. And I’m grateful for that.
These are my 3️⃣ tidbits on the quote:
1. Imposter Syndrome
Impostor syndrome is the mindset that we are unqualified and have essentially fooled a bunch of people to rise to our current positions.
Even after coaching the Miami Heat to 2 NBA championships, it wasn’t until after Spoelstra spent time reflecting his purpose did he embraced his imposter syndrome.
2 Purpose
Another quote from Spoelstra on how reflecting and taking the time to understand his purpose allowed him to embrace the privileged position he was in.
I had a big, six-week reflection on my purpose in this profession. And I really connected with this idea that my purpose was just to serve and help guys like Duncan [Robinson] achieve their dreams and to be able to help our organization develop teams and a culture that we believe in.
Knowing what your values are and discovering your purpose are game changers and can help you reject imposter syndrome.
3. Inspiration Through Representation
Spoelstra’s career is a reminder of the power of representation. As the NBA’s first Asian-American head coach, he not only carved a path for himself but also opened doors for others to envision possibilities they hadn’t seen before. His story challenges us to consider how our presence in the domains we play in, can serve as a beacon for others, especially in domains where we may feel underrepresented.
Thought Provoking Quotes on this week’s topic
Amy Cuddy
The only difference between someone who experiences Imposter Syndrome and someone who does not is how they respond to challenges.
Helen Keller
True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.