How WEF's youngest executive overcame 'imposter syndrome'
VIDEO6:1106:11
How WEF's youngest executive overcame 'imposter syndrome'
Share

How WEF's youngest executive overcame 'imposter syndrome'

Saadia Zahidi, a managing director at the World Economic Forum, shares her career-defining moments in CNBC Make It's "My Biggest Lessons."
06:11
Mon, Sep 13 20214:09 AM EDT

When Saadia Zahidi was appointed to the World Economic Forum's managing board at the age of 37, she thought she understood why she was at the table.

"It became pretty ingrained within me that clearly I was only here to bring some youth diversity, some gender diversity and some religious diversity," Zahidi told CNBC Make It.

She had not yet identified this thinking as "imposter syndrome," but it had repercussions.

"I held my voice back," she admitted. "I spoke up only on the issues that I thought I was supposed to speak about, and not on the issues where I actually did have opinions, ideas and thoughts."

Thankfully Zahidi's external mentors, especially her female ones, pointed out that she was experiencing "imposter syndrome" and encouraged her to tackle the problem head on.

"It's only once I fully embraced it and named the problem that I was able to move forward and say, 'I'm here for a reason,'" Zahidi said. "I've got a seat at the table, and this is the moment to use your voice to try to make a difference."

This is just one of five career-altering life lessons from Saadia Zahidi. Watch the video above to learn the others.