Be an inspiration, not an impostorTexas Linux Fest 2015 - Major Hayden, Rackspace

Flickr: mckaysavage

A bit about me(and Rackspace)

Billy Hathorn CC-BY-SA 3.0

Major HaydenPrincipal Architect at Rackspace

Fedora Security TeamPackage maintainer

Fedora Planet bloggerFormer board member

Ambassador

AnsiblePython

OpenStackXen/KVM/ContainersInformation Security

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Impostor Syndrome:

1. Define it

2. Identify it

3. Overcome it

Special Note:I’m not a licensed

health care professional.

If you’re suffering from mental health issues,reach out to a health care provider -- seriously.

Help is always available. Talk to someone.You can talk to me anytime.

What is impostor syndrome?

It all started with a security incident.

Don’t write emails when you’re angry.

Impromptu calendar invitationfrom the CSO.

I’m totally fired.

Now I’m workingin an entirely new world.

Be careful what you ask for.

Impromptu calendar invitationfrom the CSO.

Again.

“What do you call peoplewho think they’re the best,but they’re actually not?”

“What do you call peoplewho think they’re the worst,

but they’re actually the best?”

“The same thing.”

How do we defineimpostor syndrome?

Wikipedia calls it a“psychological phenomenon.”

“Any moment, someone’s going to find out I’m a total fraud,and that I don’t deserve

any of what I’ve achieved.”

-- Emma Watson

Let’s put it in context.

Impostor syndromeis one variety ofcognitive bias.

A cognitive bias is apattern of deviation in judgment,

whereby inferences aboutother people and situations may be

drawn in an illogical fashion.(Thanks, Wikipedia)

In other words,impostor syndrome happens

when you often thinkyou aren’t competent,

even when you really are.

Our brains can’t always be logical.

What’s the oppositeof impostor syndrome?

Dunning-Kruger Effect

Photo credit: Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons

“Hey, I’ve flown these a few times.”

Photo credit: US Air Force (public domain)

“I could fly this one right now!”

Where is the happy medium?

Dunning-Kruger Effect

“Fake it ‘til you make it”

Just right

Unsure

Impostor syndrome

Safezone

Cognitive Bias Spectrum

“Fake it ‘til you make it”is when your confidencetemporarily outweighs

your competence.

Eventually, your competencemust catch up.

When you’re unsure,you may need

temporary supportto regain your confidence.

Eventually, your confidencemust catch up.

Being humble issomething entirely different.

“True humility is notthinking less of yourself;

it is thinking of yourself less.”--C.S. Lewis

Leaders and managersdepend on you

for an accurate self-assessmentof your competence.

What happens if your self-assessment isn’t accurate?

Photo credit: US Army / Michigan National Guard

The same goes for businesses and open source communities.

If we don’t knowwhat people can do,we will never knowwhere we can go.

Flickr: jeffwilcox

We can crushimpostor syndrome

with OODA.

Colonel John Richard Boyd,United States Air Force

Photo credit: United State Air Force (public domain)

By Patrick Edwin Moran (Own work) CC BY 3.0

OODA Loop

Observe

Orient

Decide

Act

Observe

Watch body language of otherswhen you talk.

Write down your opinions and thoughts and share them with people you trust.

Get direct feedbackfrom peers and leaders.

Orient

Quantify your cognitive biasbased on feedback and your experience

Try to bring yourself-assessed competence in line

with your actual competence.

This is the most critical step.

Decide

Choose what you’re going to doand how you will do it.

Don’t go back on your decisiononce you make it.

This is the point of no return.

Act

Put your decision into actionand don’t look back.

This is “go time”.

Take the feedback you getand funnel it back into the OODA loop

for the next challenging situation.

OODA Loop

Observe

Orient

Decide

Act

Go through the OODA loopwithout thinking about anyone

other than yourself.

“Wherever you are in life with whatever you’re doing – you’re going to be ahead of some and behind others. That’s okay. Own where

you are. Take time to embrace and celebrate that. Continue moving forward.

And never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

-- Matt Cheuvront (livewithoutpants.com)

Thank you!majorhayden

major.hayden@rackspace.com

major.io