Leadership Insights
If I let go of the pressure of self criticism… will I lose my edge?
Thursday 21st May 2026
Mike Mullins
I hear this a lot when coaching leaders in professional services firms.In reality, the opposite tends to happen.
Many leaders believe their self-criticism drives their success. Yet more often:
• Success comes from their natural talent
• Self-criticism sits alongside it
• The two become linked causally
But they are not the same.
So how can leaders move beyond imposter thinking and unhealthy self-criticism?
1. Build an evidence base
Set aside some reflective time and list:
• Your key achievements in life
• Moments when you were at your best, proud of what you have achieved
• Difficult situations handled
• Positive feedback received
Then ask:
“What does this say about my capability?”
2. Notice and challenge your inner critic
Capture what your inner critic is saying. Write it down uncensored. Then challenge it:
• Is this really true?
• What’s the contrary evidence?
• What would someone who knows me well say?
• What would a more enabling belief be?
This helps you begin to challenge and replace unhelpful thinking patterns.
3. Run behavioural experiments
Confidence comes from experience.
Test:
• Delegating earlier
• Reducing over-preparation
• Taking on visible stretch opportunities
Then observe what actually happens.
Is it what your inner critic predicted? In all probability no!
The key shift at senior levels is this:
From:
“How do I prove myself?”
To:
“How do I lead others effectively?”
Leaders who work through this typically:
• Speak more clearly with brevity and presence
• Delegate more effectively
• Give themselves time to think strategically and creatively
• Experience less internal pressure
They don’t lose their edge. They sharpen it.
Final reflection:
What would change if you trusted your capability slightly more than you currently do?
Not completely.
Just slightly.
This kind of shift rarely comes from a single insight. It comes from a series of small, well-observed changes over time.
If you’re curious about how that might look in your own context, it’s a conversation worth having.
What’s one small change you could make this week that would show greater trust in your own capability?