Description

Topics Covered:

• Why smart people fall into imposter syndrome
• How cancer became a gift for rewiring David’s mindset
• The neuroscience of fear and the negativity bias
• Why your brain says “you don’t belong” (even when you do)
• How action reprograms your self-belief
• The power of reframing challenges as growth triggers
• What to look for when imposter syndrome shows up in your team
• A tiny experiment to shift from fear to courage
• The #1 thing to remember when your brain tells you you're not enough

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Claire’s neuroscience teaser: “Stop trying to be right. Focus on getting it right.”

01:08 – Meet David Brennan: from cancer to MBA courage

03:00 – How a life-threatening diagnosis changed everything

04:50 – Imposter thoughts: what held David back before chemo

06:30 – Rewiring begins: applying to top MBA programs step by step

08:15 – When imposter syndrome returned—inside the MBA classroom

09:50 – The neuroscience of fear: your brain sees ambition as threat

13:16 – “Even the brain surgeons felt it”: how David normalized imposter syndrome

17:00 – The self-doubt trap: “If I thought of it, everyone must know it”

18:30 – Action over anxiety: the brain's real rewiring mechanism

21:00 – How David thinks about doubt today—and what changed

24:00 – How to spot imposter syndrome in your team

25:45 – The book that rewired David’s leadership mindset

26:54 – Listener Challenge: Tiny steps to rewire self-belief

28:00 – Claire’s closing: “Your brain is neuroplastic. Rewire it.”

What you'll learn:

• The hidden survival instinct behind self-doubt
• A brain-based reframe to calm imposter thoughts
• A 1-minute pre-meeting move to boost clarity and confidence
• How tiny actions reprogram your brain for growth

Mentioned in this episode:

• Book: How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
• Claire’s Rule: “Stop trying to be right. Focus on getting it right.”
• Listener Challenge: Take one small action you’ve been avoiding due to imposter thoughts—within 48 hours
• David’s Confidence Reframe: “Action over anxiety. Do it before you believe it.”
• Brain Insight: How fear-based circuits distort self-worth and trigger imposter thoughts even in high performers

Follow Claire on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrennanmba/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

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The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.