The Empress Has No Clothes

April 29, 2013
Despite her impressive career, Roché, former CEO of Girls Inc. and the first African-American vice-president of Avon Products, turns out to be an overachiever plagued by self-doubt. She refers to this condition, common to many executives, as “impostor syndrome.” She shares stories from her own and others’ lives (including interviews with BET Networks chairman Debra Lee, and Ed Whitacre, former chairman and CEO of GM) to show that these feelings are not unique and to help readers, especially women and minorities, embrace their successes. She encourages readers to understand their fear, clarify values, and build connections with those who share those values, and to get centered in oneself. While Roché focuses on “imposter syndrome” in the workplace, her subtle lessons are equally helpful outside the office. She provides a useful “Imposter Phenomenon Test” that is readily applicable to both work and personal life. Because Roché is so adept at using experience as a model and teaching tool, her advice is a much softer sell, and more convincing and relatable, than that which is provided by experts in most career guides. Readers will find Roché’s lessons valuable on both personal and professional fronts. Agent: Jessica Papin, Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.