Behavioral and Emotional Indicators:

1. You hesitate to speak up in meetings unless you’re 110% sure of your answer, fearing that any gap in knowledge will expose you as a fraud.
2. You over-research, over-prepare, and over-certify. You chase degrees, certificates, or courses not out of passion, but from fear that you’re “not qualified enough.”
3. You rarely apply for jobs, promotions, or leadership roles unless you meet every single requirement—feeling unworthy if you’re missing even one.
4. You downplay your accomplishments because they were not achieved with “perfect” or “complete” knowledge.
5. You avoid delegation or collaborative work because you fear being seen as incompetent if you don’t know every detail.
6. You constantly compare yourself to others in your field who appear to be more knowledgeable—even when you have different strengths.
7. You feel shame when you don’t know something and see it as a personal failure rather than a normal part of growth.

If The Expert sounds like you, reach out to Nekeshia c/o Meraki Counseling at 832-779-3039 today to find out how to counter these indicators.