From Trenches to Theory: Beating Imposter Syndrome One Insight at a Time

So, you’ve just been accepted into a DBA program? Congratulations — you’re officially entering rare territory! Did you know that fewer than 1.2% of the U.S. population holds a doctoral degree? This means that you are joining an elite circle of academic and professional achievers. Whether you're driven by curiosity, ambition, or a desire to lead through research, this next chapter will challenge and change you in incredibly powerful ways. 

Starting a DBA program is not for the faint of heart. You start your first day of class thinking you are bringing a solid resume, a great attitude, and even a little preparation beforehand... and suddenly you are knee-deep in citations, theoretical frameworks, and that one student who seems to have read *everything* before orientation even started. Cue imposter syndrome: the unwelcome +1 you never invited but somehow always manages to show up anyway.

I remember walking into my program feeling like a pretty solid Human Resources Practitioner and Executive—someone who’d spent years in the trenches, leading teams, solving problems, and building things that actually worked. And now? I was surrounded by entrepreneurs, executives, and seasoned strategists tossing around industry buzzwords like confetti. I could not help but wonder if they accidentally let me in? Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a mistake. And if you are reading this thinking something similar—they didn’t let you in by accident either.

Imposter syndrome thrives in new, high-stakes spaces. The early days of a DBA program are ripe for it: unfamiliar academic lingo, mountains of reading, and the pressure to sound “doctoral” when you speak. (What does that even mean?). In my experience, this syndrome also feeds off comparison. But here is a nugget of truth: everyone else is figuring it out too. Some are simply better at looking confident while they Google “what is phenomenology” at 2am.

If I’ve learned anything, it is this: your experience is not a drawback. It is a differentiator. Programs like this need practitioners who ask challenging questions, bring lived experience, and challenge ivory tower assumptions. So instead of faking it till you make it, how about this: contribute till you make it. You are not here to pretend—you’re here to contribute. And your view from the trenches? It adds dimension that academia and your cohort/classmates deeply need. 

If you are like me, you would likely be at the point in this blog where you are thinking something like,” That’s great, but how do you actually make the shift?” Here are some specific steps I took along the way, and I hope they can help illuminate a path for you:

• “It doesn’t matter how you got here. It only matters what you do when you’re here.” This quote from a dear friend changed everything for me. I stopped explaining myself or wondering if others felt I was qualified to be in the same room and shifted my focus to owning my journey and outcomes. Essentially, I started to understand that spending time on “worry” is a distractor and takes away the time I could spend on results.
•  Owning my lane: I realized I didn’t have to become someone else to fit in. I had to bring all of me to the table—frustrations, insights, instincts, and all. Part of learning is not only reading the material and doing the work; it is the act of sharing and building upon one another’s perspectives and ideas to better understand the material and how it connects to the world around us.
• A mindset shift: I wasn’t here to impress. I was here to learn, reflect, and grow. That meant less pressure, more joy.

So, if you are just starting.., know that imposter syndrome is loudest at the beginning, but it does not get the final say. You belong in this room. Not despite your experience, but because of it. The work you are doing now isn’t just building academic credibility—it helps you understand how to support your business (and the world around you) even more powerfully. And that is not only worthwhile, but it is also game-changing.

So, press on. Be proud. And the next time imposter syndrome throws shade your way, just smile and say, “Sorry—I’ve got work to do, I don’t have time for this.” Then get back to reading article #30 like the boss you are.

P.S.: You GOT This!

About the Author: Tracy is a practitioner-turned-DBA-student with almost 30 years of experience as an HR practitioner, a heart for leadership, a mind for strategy, and a knack for calling out the awkward stuff nobody wants to say out loud. She writes to encourage, empower, and remind fellow students that real-world grit belongs right alongside academic grit.