impostor syndrome Maureen Zappala

Tag: impostor syndrome

Artemis II rocket launching on its historic crewed mission around the Moon

You’ve Never Done This Before. So What?

In April 2026, the Artemis II was launched for an historic 10-day mission to evaluate human flight worthiness in deep space (ie, the area past

Gray Chevrolet sedan with significant front-end hood damage after a low-speed parking garage collision. The driver's door is open, and the car remains drivable despite the crumpled hood.

Fender Bender, Refusal, and Responding Under Pressure

I got front-ended on July 4th. Not the fireworks-and-flag-waving kind of story you’d expect from that day. Instead, it’s the parking-garage kind. I was stopped

How to Hire a Great Keynote Speaker

They can make or break your event! Meeting planners ask all the time: “How do I know if a speaker is really good?” It’s a

She couldn’t speak. She could only cry.

She was standing in front of me after my keynote at DynamicsCon, the annual conference for some of the most technically sharp, analytically rigorous professionals

The Hidden Cost of Your Best People Playing Small

There’s a moment I’ve never forgotten. It was 1993. I was the Facility Manager of the NASA Lewis Propulsion Systems Laboratory, and the agency was

Introducing The Propulsion Principle™

For a long time, my work centered on impostor syndrome: that familiar experience of high achievers who feel, despite all evidence, like frauds. I understand

Pressure Ratio: Your Brain on Impostor Syndrome

Maybe impostor syndrome is more than a thinking problem. For years, most of the conversation around impostor syndrome has focused on thoughts. And that makes

Move with Mastery

Move with Mastery People who struggle with impostor syndrome aren’t underqualified.They’re under-convinced. They have the skills, the experience, the track record.But something inside them hesitates.

Parking garage aisle B, level 5 for Terminal 1 public parking with cars.

Bravado and Breadcrumbs for the “Impostor”

Bravado and Breadcrumbs I travel a lot, which means I park in a lot of airport garages. But I never remember where I parked. Not

The Empty Seats that Mattered

✈️ The Empty Seats That Mattered By Maureen ZappalaSpeaker, Author, and Former NASA Engineer When “small” moments become your biggest impact On October 27, 2025,

NASA engineers working on a large jet engine inside a testing facility.

The Day I Shut Down NASA

The Day I Shut Down NASA This is not a newsflash: Success and failure are touchy subjects for people with self-doubt. This IS a newsflash:

Iceberg illustration showing 'Visible Performance' above water, 'Hidden Self-Doubt' below, illustrating Impostor Syndrome.

Impostor Syndrome and the Iceberg Effect

What’s really going on with your top performers? Your best people might look like they are doing their best work.And they probably are. But here