You wouldn’t believe how many accountants I’ve met who think they’re “not good enough”.
It doesn’t matter how qualified, experienced or respected they are.
Impostor syndrome doesn’t discriminate.
It sneaks in quietly.
It shows up as self-doubt.
And it tends to stick around far longer than it’s welcome.
I know this because I’ve been there myself.
“I’m not as good as people think I am”
That’s what I said – more than once – to the outplacement counsellor I met in 2001.
The firm I was with had decided I no longer made the cut.
Despite being an equity partner.
Despite being their media spokesperson and heading up a national team.
Despite being recruited into the role just a few years earlier.
I wasn’t billing £1m+. And that, apparently, was the new benchmark.
Classic “last in, first out”.
To my surprise, the question being whispered by other partners was:
“Why are we letting Mark Lee go?”
It should have been reassuring.
But I couldn’t hear it over the noise in my own head.
That counsellor noticed what I was saying. And more importantly, what I meant.
“I feel like a fraud.”
I couldn’t quite bring myself to use the word back then. But that was the truth.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing
That conversation changed everything.
He challenged my assumptions.
Helped me reframe the story I was telling myself.
And nudged me to see the reality, not just the internal drama.
It didn’t fix me overnight. But it started the shift.
And it left me with a brilliant technique/tool I have since used to help dozens of accountants.
I now recognise that imposter syndrome isn’t about weakness or incompetence.
It’s about caring.
Caring what people think.
Caring about doing a good job.
Caring about getting things right.
And when you’re a sole practitioner, the stakes feel even higher.
There’s no boss to reassure you.
No team to compare notes with.
Just you, your doubts, and the version of “success” you think you should be achieving.
Sound familiar?
I’ve interviewed dozens of accountants for my podcast and had similar conversations with even more who describe things like:
- Working longer hours than they ever imagined
- Feeling like they should be further ahead by now
- Struggling to prioritise the changes they know they need to make
- Feeling inadequate compared to the self-promotional posts they see online from other accountants
- Worrying that they’re the only ones who don’t have it all figured out
- Feeling like they can’t stop, slow down or let anything go
- Not wanting to admit to themselves (or anyone else) that they need support
All classic signs that imposter syndrome has moved in and made itself at home.
But here’s the thing:
Most of these accountants were far closer to the confidence and clarity they wanted than they realised.
They just needed someone to talk to.
Someone who really understands accountants.
Someone who gets it.
Someone who’s been there.
You’re not broken. you’re not alone.
You don’t need fixing.
You might just need a conversation. Maybe more than one – but that’s up to you.
If anything here rings true, let’s talk.
You’ll enjoy it as there won’t be any pressure or sales pitch.
Just an honest, supportive chat about where you are, and where you want to be.
You’re not the only one who feels like this.
But you can be one of the ones who learns to move past it.
