Succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated workplace takes grit and resilience — but it shouldn’t come at the expense of well-being.
Self-doubt can creep in even in positive, nurturing work environments. But when faced with dismissive colleagues, unhealthy work-life balance and daily exclusion and isolation, the problem is bound to escalate.
Edna Shamouni, software development manager at Flexe, recalled reaching a breaking point at a previous job despite her outward appearance of success. While she was leading a team, she was the only woman around her doing so, and lacked mentors and allies she could turn to. Rather than stay put and treat her mounting imposter syndrome as a personal issue for her to address alone, she recognized the need to change her circumstances.
“Ultimately, I decided to look for a company that better supported women in tech,” she told Built In Seattle. “This idea was shaped after hearing this quote: ‘The environment that broke you cannot be the environment that puts you back together.’”
It takes thoughtful leadership, advocacy from senior leaders — including men — and opportunities for career development to retain women and create space for them to succeed.
Empowering women to thrive in tech roles is in everyone’s best interests. Companies with more gender diversity on their leadership teams have been shown to outperform their less diverse peers, scoring higher on financial results, productivity and team dynamics. And yet only 27 percent of technology workers in the U.S. are women, despite women making up 57 percent of the overall professional workforce.
Read on for Shamouni’s insights on finding mentors, challenging self-doubt and making the leap to Flexe.
Flexe connects brands and retailers with on-demand warehousing and fulfillment solutions.
How have you experienced imposter syndrome in your career?
For years before joining Flexe, I was the only woman manager in my department. I often experienced being talked over in meetings, my ideas being disregarded, witnessing my male colleagues receive credit instead of me, and in general, not being taken seriously. As a woman in this male-dominated work environment, I soon developed an imposter syndrome that I never knew I could have. I started doubting myself in every action I took and every word I said.
How did you deal with your imposter syndrome? Was there a particular situation, quote, idea or person who helped change your perspective?
I dealt with it by becoming the best version of myself. I equipped myself with knowledge and continued to learn and sharpen my skills. I found a circle of mentors who poured courage and confidence into me and a set of allies who spoke for me when I was not present. They were both men and women at senior levels.
I found a circle of mentors who poured courage and confidence into me.
What advice would you give to other professional women who are dealing with imposter syndrome?
You can do it. Don't listen to the negative thoughts inside your head or people's opinions about you. None of those are facts. Instead, spend your energy increasing your self-confidence, practicing self-love and developing a circle of mentors and allies in and outside of your workplace. At the end of the day, believe in yourself, stand up for yourself and be your own greatest fan.
