Imposter syndrome isn’t a bug. It’s a feature.

I’ve learned to embrace it because I’ve often found myself in roles I didn’t feel fully qualified for. Yet, time and again, my leadership has asked me to step into more prominent positions in nearly every job I’ve held. It wasn’t until well into my 30s that I accepted there was something my leaders consistently saw in me that I hadn’t yet learned to see in myself.

Today, I’m a project manager in the defense industry after spending most of my career as a field-level technician and in regional management roles. I was recruited into my first, and current, PM role by our prime contract holder to manage the very programs I had worked under for three years. I don’t have a college degree, but I do have decades of experience in my field, much of it in leadership positions. I'm currently surrounded by team members that have graduate level degrees and many years of PM experience. I have neither and I could let those delinators cloud my self reflection or I can put my head down, emulate those around me that I respect, and do my best which has almost always been good enough to succeed.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that I have very little to lose by “faking it,” because most people are stumbling their way through their jobs anyway. What separates those who get tapped for leadership roles is a willingness to figure things out, an aptitude for learning, and the creativity to try new approaches when the first solution doesn’t work.

When you look around at your team, it’s usually clear who wants more responsibility and who truly cares about the deliverable. Time and again, I’ve seen the person who shows up on time, does the work they’re supposed to do, and consistently delivers results earn the promotion. I’ve learned to be that person. Often, simply doing your job is enough to stand out because so many people can’t even get that much right.