In the past few years, while going through the journey of becoming a certified and accredited coach with incredible institutions like ICF, CTI, ORSC, and EIB, I had many encounters with my own “saboteurs” – never a smooth or pleasant experience!

As the brilliant Sandra Cain, a CTI and ORSC faculty, pointed out in many of our group supervision sessions, saboteurs are primal automatic responses to new situations, lifelong companions and guardians trying to protect us from the dangers of getting hurt or feeling afraid: they are psyche archetypes that help us survive and thrive in challenging environments.

Unfortunately, saboteurs have a dual nature: their shadow sides can undermine our success and happiness, preventing us from achieving our full potential. It is then important to get to know them, listen to them as they show us our vulnerabilities, and then develop enough self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-authority to be able to make conscious choices when they get triggered.

Through my work as an investor, an accelerator operator, and more recently through my practice as a coach, I had the privilege to deepen my relationship with many startup founders, going well beyond discussions on business strategies and funding rounds: I had the chance to get to know their personal struggles and to meet their saboteurs, understanding how they get activated and witnessing the often painful but always transformational experience of learning how to de-trigger them.

Startups operate in environments of high uncertainty and frequent challenges that require strong psychological abilities. Studies reveal that psychological factors account for 50% of startup failures, surpassing market-related challenges like competition or insufficient demand (35%).

Founders with strong mental fitness can navigate these challenges, pivot when necessary, and sustain good company momentum. Studies show that startups led by founders with a strong Founder Mindset have a 1.5x higher survival rate in their first three years. Despite these advantages, the mental strain of entrepreneurship remains significant, with burnout, anxiety, and stress affecting nearly 4 in 5 small business owners.

Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

The startup ecosystem thrives on bold ideas and resilient leadership, yet behind the scenes, many founders face a hidden challenge: imposter syndrome. In fact, recent studies show that nearly 70% of people experience imposter thoughts in one form or another at least once in their lives. Now, if we look at early-stage companies, we find that 72% of founders face imposter syndrome at different phases of their companies' growth.

Persistent self-doubt, often accompanied by a fear of being “found out,” affects startup founders during critical growth stages. While the term is widely recognized, its implications for founders and the startups they lead are rarely discussed in depth.

Founders battling self-doubt may delay making difficult decisions, such as pivoting to a new product line or entering an untapped market, out of fear of failure. Over time, this hesitation can harm the company’s progress, lead to overwork, or create inefficiencies. The imposter syndrome also highlights a founder’s heightened self-awareness and drive for excellence. By recognizing and managing their inner saboteurs, founders can transform self-doubt into a growth opportunity.

Imposter syndrome often creates a paradox. While it may lead to hesitation, overwork, and excessive self-criticism, it fosters self-awareness and motivates founders to achieve more personal growth when addressed constructively. One thing about the balance of this paradox that we noticed from working directly with founders is that it can make imposter syndrome an important factor in a founder’s personal growth and the success of their business.

Denial and Overconfidence

Less commonly discussed saboteurs are restlessness, hyper-achiever tendencies, overcontrol and micromanagement: they sound like expressions of strength and competence, but they might simply result from avoidance and denial of more profound self-limiting beliefs.

In addition, they can lead to burnout and bring additional risks: a study shows that CEOs with high levels of self-confidence are moving slower to adjust their forecasts when proven inaccurate. This not only affects decision-making but can also impact team morale and cohesion, as employees may feel disengaged or undervalued when forecasts are not aligned with reality.

At work, overconfidence can be an asset but also a liability, especially when it comes to startup founders: it may be necessary to get new ventures up and running, but these emotions can create problems at a later stage, resulting in Founder Dilemma.

Cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, overconfidence, or the sunk cost fallacy, are silent saboteurs of decision-making processes. These biases, combined with self-doubt, create stress and anxiety that can ripple across a startup.

How founders can overcome their own biases and go from silent saboteurs to healthy ambition

As companies grow, they often transition through different stages that challenge their internal culture. In the early stages, startups thrive on a "Founder’s Mentality," demonstrating a high-energy, customer-focused, and entrepreneurial spirit. As the company scales, it becomes a challenge to keep the same company culture, especially when founders struggle with their own biases, be it self-doubt or overconfidence.

Mental resilience is one of the most important qualities for founders. It influences how they handle the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and how their behavior impacts their teams and company culture.

Transitioning from being your own worst critic to an empowered, effective leader begins with understanding your saboteurs. Tools like the Positive Intelligence Saboteur Assessment help founders identify common tendencies: while these attributes can damage productivity and organizational health, they can be reframed.

We notice that founders who embrace their vulnerabilities and look at self-doubt as a tool for growth are more likely to build high-performing companies, have healthy company cultures, and nurture motivated teams.  For example, imposter syndrome can foster a growth mindset, driving founders to seek knowledge, ask questions, and remain open to feedback. These behaviors enhance leadership and strengthen teams.

Turning self-doubt into strength

Though often viewed as a challenge, imposter syndrome can be a powerful tool for growth and self-awareness when approached with the right mindset. Founders who embrace their vulnerabilities have more empathy, encourage psychological safety, and create stronger team cultures. Leadership is not about perfection; it’s about adaptability and continuous learning.

From an investor’s perspective, we recognize the responsibility to support founders on their journeys as they grow their companies and deal with the challenges of growing a startup. We know that success is often celebrated, but it’s equally important to acknowledge how much mental resilience it takes to navigate all the challenges, avoid self-doubt, and ensure founders don’t end up with burnout.

Mental fitness is one way to turn imposter syndrome into a strength. It involves staying calm under pressure and adapting to challenges. One way to fight imposter syndrome is to adopt an open mindset focused on growth. Feelings of inadequacy often push founders to seek knowledge, ask questions, and remain open to feedback.

At Global Ventures, we have a trusted network of experienced business and executive coaches to support our portfolio companies. Our coaches provide guidance to help founders develop leadership skills, navigate operational challenges, and scale their businesses effectively.

This article was co-authored alongside Marika Brivio and with support from Lana Azhari.

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