As important as it is to be extremely confident in the business world, many entrepreneurs find it difficult to achieve. To start a company, especially when it promises innovation that will change the world as we know it, brings a lot of responsibilities.

Entrepreneurs often put the stake too high, which can be exciting, yet stressful. It feeds the fear of failure, the fear of being incapable of delivering what was promised and eventually being exposed as a “fraud”.

High-achieving entrepreneurs, who set the bar too high for themselves and look for perfection in everything they do, experience the “Impostor Syndrome” at some point. The term has been coined by the clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes back in 1978 and describes the feeling of individuals, who are in most cases perfectionists and high-achievers in what they do, that are not good enough and don’t deserve to be in the place that they are right now.

Surprisingly many people, from famous actors/actresses and performance to corporate executives, successful businessman and businesswomen and even politicians, suffer from it at some point in their lives. The feeling that you are not enough, that you don’t deserve the success and the recognition that you get can be devastating.

In most of the cases, confident and aspiring entrepreneurs are capable of deftly overcoming the Impostor Syndrome. But a significant number of entrepreneurs fall into the trap of feeling undeservedly successful, especially when they start strong and fail fast. Feeling like an impostor in your business is devastating. Follow these three tricks that will help you overcome your self-doubt before it ruins not just your business, but your whole life.

Look for recognition from within

Don’t expect people to always have a positive opinion about you and the work you do. People can be harsh, especially if you are not performing at your best. There are always going to be critics no matter what you achieve. Don’t focus on their opinion; focus on the value you bring and the problem you solve. Only you know how you got here. What others call luck, you called hard work, so, embrace the success.

Make it work for you, not against you

Being unsure of your capabilities, talents, and skills has a positive side. It can be a great motivator to learn more and improve. As an entrepreneur in a competitive market, you want to be on the top of your game. If you aren’t there yet, keep on improving and growing. But remember, nobody knows it all. Nobody is perfect. Nobody is immune to making a mistake. Make your self-doubt work for you as it motivates you to be better and stronger.

Be authentic

As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest fears of people, who suffer from the Impostor Syndrome, is the fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. To overcome this fear, you need to embrace your true self and show it to the world. Being completely honest and transparent with your business partners, the investors and your customers will help you to establish stronger relationships built on trust. Authenticity is a key to overcoming the fear of being “found out”. Embrace it!