Why So Many PT Leaders Feel Like Imposters

About this episode

This episode discusses the prevalence of imposter syndrome among physical therapy leaders and offers strategies to build confidence in leadership roles.

Most clinicians are trained to treat patients — not lead teams. So when a physical therapist suddenly becomes a supervisor, director, or clinic leader, it’s common to feel unprepared. That feeling often shows up as imposter syndrome. In this episode of PT Pintcast, Jimmy McKay talks with speech-language pathologist and leadership coach Katie Holterman about why imposter syndrome is so common in healthcare and what clinicians can do when it shows up. They break down how leadership roles appear suddenly in clinical careers, how imposter syndrome affects decision-making inside clinics, and practical ways PTs can build confidence while leading teams. If you’ve ever sat quietly in a leadership meeting wondering if you belong there — this episode is for you. Key Insights • Why clinicians often become leaders without leadership training • The five profiles of imposter syndrome in healthcare professionals • How imposter syndrome causes decision paralysis in clinics • Why asking questions actually increases perceived leadership authority • The “Actually Factually Good At” list for building leadership confidence • How shifting from “Do I belong here?” to “What problem am I here to solve?”…

People in this episode

Host: Jimmy McKay

Guest: Katie Holterman

Topics covered

• leadership
• imposter syndrome
• healthcare
• physical therapy
• decision-making

Keywords

• imposter syndrome
• leadership roles
• decision paralysis
• leadership confidence
• healthcare professionals
• questions in leadership
• mindset shift

Mentioned in this episode

Products: SaRA Health

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