Why COOs feel like impostors — and how to stop

Executive overview

Most COOs privately believe everyone around them is more capable. This feeling is universal, not a personal failing. Growth as a leader means building confidence, connections, and skills in parallel — not waiting until you feel ready.

Every leader is winging it; the ones who grow fastest are those who admit it and build the support to act anyway.

Imposter syndrome is the norm, not the exception

• At a COO Alliance event, one member admitted feeling like a fraud — every other member felt the same
• The room laughed when every hand went up; shared acknowledgement broke the isolation
• Companies grow faster than leaders' experience — that gap is the source of the feeling
• Making promises you're not yet sure how to keep is part of the job, not a sign of incompetence

What actually closes the gap

• Year one priority: shed imposter syndrome by gaining confidence and connections
• Year two: focus shifts to systems and skills
• Your job as a leader is to grow the people below you — they feel it too
• CEOs and entrepreneurs feel equally lost; it's not a COO-specific problem