The Imposter Episode: Why Tech’s Best People Feel Like Frauds

There’s a quiet crisis running through IT leadership that nobody names in the meeting: the certainty that you’re in over your head, and that any minute now, someone’s going to find out. It comes with the job. And for women in tech, there’s a second layer underneath.In this episode of The Catalyst, from Softchoice, a World Wide Technology Company, host Katey Teekasingh sits with three women who’ve lived imposter syndrome from every altitude: an IT director who wasn’t the first pick for her role, a five-time CTO who argues the field itself is the problem, and an MIT scientist who built a whole technology field while the engineering world dismissed her work — then won one of its highest honors.Their answers about how to lead through doubt without faking it will reframe what most IT leaders quietly carry.Key takeawaysWhy getting promoted for being the best engineer sets you up to feel like a fraud — and why it’s structural, not personalThe second layer of doubt women in tech describe — the “merit, or a box to check?” question that follows them into every roomHow a top scientist reacted to winning one of engineering’s highest honors (hint: her first thought was “is this a scam?”)Three different strategies for leading through uncertainty — without pretending it isn’t thereGuest credentialsRosalind Picard, ScD — Founder and Director of the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab; co-founder of Empatica and Affectiva; 2026 recipient of the IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology.Meri Williams — Chief Technology Officer at Pleo; five-time CTO across fintech, retail, banking, and biotech; previously scaled the team that built GOV.UK at the UK’s Government Digital Service.Julie Szaj — Director of Organizational Change Management at Washington University; 25+ years across education, learning design, and technology leadership.About Our SponsorThis episode is brought to you by HP, in partnership with Softchoice. HP helps organizations shape the future of work with AI-powered solutions across devices, printing, and services. Learn more at https://www.softchoice.com/technology-partners/hpHashtags#TheCatalyst #Softchoice #HP #ITLeadership #ImposterSyndrome #WomenInTech #CTO #DigitalTransformation #MidMarketITShow Notes & ResourcesConnect with our guests:Rosalind Picard — MIT Media Lab Affective Computing Group: media.mit.edu/groups/affective-computingMeri Williams — Pleo: pleo.ioJulie Szaj — Washington University in St. Louis: wustl.eduReferenced in the episode:Affective Computing (1997) by Rosalind Picard — the founding text of the fieldIEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology — 2026 recipient: Rosalind PicardEmpatica — wearable health technology co-founded by Picard: empatica.comLearn more about HP’s partnership with Softchoice: https://www.softchoice.com/technology-partners/hpThe Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.