Now in its fourth season, the Tiger Therapy podcast explores how business leaders overcome moments of self-doubt
There are two types of people in this world: those who have self-doubts and those who pretend they don’t. Then again, who am I to make such a statement? Ah, there’s that self-doubt creeping up again.
Jokes aside, all of us have, at one time or another, been plagued by that little voice in our heads that tells us some version of, “you’re not good enough”. Whether you’re a high-flyer at the top of your field or one of a humbler disposition, self-doubt is a shadow that periodically reappears.
But second guessing yourself can be useful too, says Pippa Woodhead, head of podcasts at Tigerhall. As the host of business podcast Tiger Therapy, Pippa speaks to highly accomplished C-suites around the world to understand their journeys and learn how they overcome moments of self-doubt.
“The best leaders are very self-aware,” says Pippa. “They’ve learned to determine if the doubt they are feeling is something they should override, or a valuable message telling them they need to level up in that area.”
On Pippa’s Tiger Therapy podcast, now in its fourth season, she gleans valuable nuggets of wisdom from business leaders like Kim Scott, James W. Keyes, and Rob Pierre, just to name a few. The episode with Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, for example, delves deep into how C-suites can not only mitigate their own self-doubts, but abate them for the people they manage as well.
“Having someone as influential as Amy Edmondson on the podcast was hugely exciting,” says Pippa. “Her pivotal research found that a critical part of high-performing teams is that members feel comfortable sharing their views and ideas, without the risk of humiliation or rejection.”
Throughout her five years of hosting various Tigerhall podcasts on leadership, strategy, and sales, Pippa notes that self-doubt is a perennial beast that stops people, even highly successful ones, from chasing their career goals. But for guests on the podcast who have managed to tame their insecurities, Pippa’s question is simple: how?
“One of my favourite techniques (for managing self-doubt) has to be the one shared by (five-time world champion triathlete and Oscar-winning screenwriter) Lesley Paterson,” says Pippa. “She uses an alter-ego, an imaginary WWE fighter she calls Paddy McGinty, to help manage her self-doubt.”
“Whenever she needs to be more assertive and confident,” continues Pippa, “she gets herself into the character of Paddy—the key difference being that Lesley cares about what people think, and Paddy doesn’t.”
The alter-ego technique may sound amusing, but superstars like Beyonce and Kobe Bryant have famously used it too. That being said, maybe it’d be better to start off with a pseudonym. Ah, there’s that self-doubt again.
