Leona Burton, Founder of Mums in Business International, Jack Canfield Certified Coach, and CMO of tech startup ZZatem, shares her journey with imposter syndrome.
From global leadership to stages and boardrooms, she opens up about the quiet self-doubt that shadows success, and how she learned to lead anyway.
It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been featured in the press, what stage you’ve spoken on, or how many accolades you’ve received, imposter syndrome has a way of sneaking into the room and whispering: “You don’t belong here.”
As someone who leads a global community of over 400,000 women through Mums in Business International, sits at the leadership table as CMO of Zzatem, and has coached countless individuals as a Jack Canfield Certified Coach, I can tell you from experience: self-doubt doesn’t discriminate. It affects the junior developer trying to make their voice heard, and it affects the woman who just stepped into a C-suite role in tech.
Imposter Syndrome in Tech: Why It’s So Prevalent
The tech industry is fast, demanding, and often male-dominated. Even as more women step into the space, whether as coders, strategists, marketers, or founders, we often find ourselves questioning whether we truly deserve the seat we’ve worked so hard to earn.
Part of this stems from the culture. Tech is built on speed, innovation, and a relentless “always on” energy that doesn’t leave much room for vulnerability. When you’re one of the few women in the room, it’s easy to internalise the idea that you have to be twice as good to be taken seriously. You feel like you need all the answers before you speak up. And when you do succeed, you sometimes put it down to luck instead of your own talent and grit.
That’s imposter syndrome, and let’s face it, it’s exhausting.
My Personal Turning Point
For years, I found myself quietly carrying that pressure, despite outward success. I’d walk off a stage after delivering a keynote speech and instantly question whether I’d said enough, or worse, whether I even deserved to be invited.
The turning point came not during a big milestone, but in a coaching session I delivered to a woman who mirrored everything I was feeling. Talented. Driven. Accomplished. And yet, she couldn’t see her own brilliance. I heard the words I was saying to her “You are already enough” and realised they were the very words I needed to speak to myself.
That moment set me on a path to unpack and rebuild my relationship with confidence.
The Confidence Myth
We often think of confidence as something we either have or don’t have, as if it’s a fixed trait. But that’s not how it works. Confidence is a muscle, and it’s built through action, reflection, and yes, failure.
As a Jack Canfield Certified Coach, I’ve come to understand that confidence grows through consistency and it comes from small moments: speaking up in a meeting even when your voice shakes, asking the question no one else will ask, or applying for the role that feels slightly out of reach.
In tech, where so much is constantly changing and innovation is the norm, there’s no such thing as “having it all figured out” so waiting to feel 100% ready before making a move isn’t just unnecessary, t’s counterproductive.
Reframing Imposter Syndrome
One of the most powerful shifts I’ve made is reframing imposter syndrome not as a weakness, but as a sign that I’m pushing my own boundaries and growing and that’s been really helpful. If I feel a little unsure, it often means I’m growing. I’m stretching. I’m evolving. And that’s exactly what we need more of in leadership. Of course, reframing doesn’t mean ignoring the discomfort. It means noticing it, acknowledging it, and taking action anyway. It also means having people around you who remind you of who you are when you forget, something we champion every day within Mums in Business International.
Creating Confidence-Friendly Cultures
On a wider level, confidence in tech doesn’t just come from individual mindset shifts. It also comes from workplace culture. If you’re a leader reading this, ask yourself:
- Do your team members feel psychologically safe to speak up?
- Are mistakes treated as learning opportunities—or career-ending failures?
- Are women, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, being supported into senior roles with mentoring and sponsorship?
One of the things I’m most proud of is our commitment to inclusivity, not just in our hiring, but in how we collaborate, so we build with empathy, we hire with humility, and we lead with transparency.
A Message to Women in Tech
If you’re a woman working in tech and feeling the weight of imposter syndrome right now, I want to say that you’re not alone, your doubt does not define you, and your presence in the room is not a fluke.
You have earned your place.
The more we speak openly about these experiences, the more we normalise them, and the less power they hold over us.
Let’s stop waiting until we feel 100% confident to show up fully.
Let’s be bold while feeling uncertain because that’s what real leadership looks like.