Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Building Resilience with Gowri

Leadership is never a finished skill, it evolves with every role, every challenge, and every decision. That’s why we bring you insights directly from the TopLeader experts who work with senior leaders around the world.

In this interview, we sit down with Gowri S Ramani, a coach who has worked with more than 500 clients across industries and geographies, sharing lessons on confidence, resilience, and the mindset shifts that shape better leaders.

"What I often find with senior leaders is a sense of Imposter Syndrome"

What first drew you into coaching, and how has your own journey shaped the way you work with clients?

"As a senior corporate leader, I enjoyed working with people. Over the years in the corporate world, without planning to be, I became the person people sought out to speak with when they needed some guidance and clarity. So, when I decided to step out of a fulltime job, becoming a coach was a natural path for me.

Now, after 8 years and 500 clients later, I believe it was one of the best decisions in my life and I feel blessed to be able to help senior leaders across the world become better leaders, one at a time!"

In your experience, what is one leadership skill people tend to underestimate, and why does it matter more than they realize?

"As a coach, what I often find with senior leaders is a sense of Imposter Syndrome and weakening in their confidence as they go up the corporate ladder. They forget that they deserve to be where they are and have the strong foundation and ability to learn & evolve to meet the needs of their roles.

It is very important that along with a healthy dose of humility and nervousness about bigger responsibilities with their growth, they also remind themselves of the strengths that got them to where they are."

What personal value or principle guides you the most when working with leaders?

"My deep belief in the ability and resilience of human spirit to build on and overcome challenges to become the beautiful humans they are meant to be!"

How has being connected through TopLeader influenced your ability to share your expertise and reach more people?

"In my long corporate career, I was privileged to travel to 30+ countries and work with teams across the globe. With TopLeader, I am still able to work with clients from far away places on similar human challenges that I am able to partner with them on!"

If you could give one piece of advice to the next generation of leaders, what would it be?

"Trust yourself and trust in the goodness of human spirit in general! Focus on the larger purpose of you company, your role and your life!"

From overcoming imposter syndrome to trusting in the human spirit, these insights remind us that leadership growth is both deeply personal and universally relevant.

Through TopLeader, experts like Gowri make these lessons accessible to leaders everywhere, helping them not only manage their roles more effectively, but also lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.