By Paddy Upton
When Sachin Tendulkar walked out to bat in his very first Test match – at just 16 years old – he was clueless. His words, not mine. “I had no idea what was going on. I was getting beaten by the pace. This is the wrong place for you,” he told himself. He lasted 15 runs.
He held back tears just long enough to make it to the bathroom. Then he cried, looked in the mirror and said to himself, “This level of cricket is not for you.”
That’s what imposter syndrome can sound like. It’s not loud. It doesn’t shout. But it feels real.
What Sachin did next wasn’t dramatic. There was no pep talk or technical fix. Just one small shift: “I decided not to look at the scoreboard. I’d only look in that direction to check the time. My goal was to bat for half an hour.”
That was enough. Because in that half-hour, he began adjusting to the pace. That small moment of clarity became the starting point for a career that would rewrite cricket history.
This same pattern plays out in business, in leadership, and in life. Most times, when stepping into something new.
Maybe you’ve just been promoted, changed industries, taken on a leadership role for the first time or gone from startup founder to scale up leader. And suddenly, the game feels faster, harder, more public. Pressure mounts. What used to feel familiar now feels uncertain. And a voice creeps in:
“Maybe I’m not ready for this.”
“Maybe I’m not cut out for this level.”
It’s tempting to believe that the discomfort means you’re in the wrong place. That maybe you don’t belong.But that’s not the truth. It’s just a sign that you’ve stepped into a bigger arena.
What Sachin teaches us is this: mastery in one area doesn’t mean you’ll feel instantly comfortable in the next. That feeling of not being ready is completely normal.
It’s not a warning sign. It’s a sign you’re growing.
In that moment, you have a choice.
You can believe the voice that says you’re not ready. Or you can do what Sachin did
- stay in the game
- focus on ‘batting for the next half hour.’
You don’t have to become the perfect leader, strategist, or public speaker overnight. You don’t have to nail every meeting or have all the answers. Just stay in the game long enough to find your rhythm.
Your version of batting for half an hour might be:
- One honest conversation where you listen more than speak.
- One task you finish well — not ten you rush through
- One breath before reacting
Because high performance—whether on the cricket pitch or in the boardroom—isn’t about always feeling confident. It’s about acting with clarity even when confidence hasn’t arrived yet.
The best professionals I’ve worked with—athletes, leaders, CEOs—don’t wait to feel ready. They shrink the moment. They stay present. They take the next simple step.
They know that imposter syndrome isn’t a signal to retreat. It’s just a sign you’re in new territory, a signal that you’re growing. And the only way to belong there—is to keep showing up.
You’re not the finished product. That’s okay.
You just need to stay in the game long enough to find your rhythm.
Just like Sachin did.
