Recently, I sat in a room of successful founders

Recently, I sat in a room of successful founders. We were in different stages of our businesses, yet we all shared something this surprising feeling:

Self-doubt.

I was at the Collective 54 Founders Summit

It’s a community of founders of professional services firms.

Boutique shops of 10 people.

Mid-sized firms ready to scale.

A few who’ve successfully exited.

From the outside, they all looked like they had it figured out.

Polished appearance.

Confident presentations.

Impressive client lists.

The kind of image that might make you wonder, “Will I ever get there?”

But when the doors closed, the real conversations started.

As I chatted with founder after founder, something surprising emerged.

These seemingly ultra-confident leaders shared a secret.

None felt like they had it all figured out.

Not one.

The owner of a thriving creative agency?

Struggling with operations.

The founder who just sold their firm?

Wrestling with what’s next.

The consulting veteran with 20 years experience?

Still trying to crack sustainable growth.

I’ll be honest—this revelation hit home.

There are nights when I lie awake, wondering if I’m cut out for this.

Can reach the goals I’ve set.

Sound familiar?

But here’s the beautiful truth I discovered.

These doubts don’t mean we’re not capable.

They’re not a sign we’re doing something wrong.

In fact, they’re proof we’re in exactly the right company.

The most successful founders I met weren’t successful because they had everything figured out.

They succeeded because they:

Kept pushing forward.

Stayed open to learning and changing.

Built networks of peers who understood their challenges.

Feeling those familiar pangs of self-doubt?

First, take a deep breath.

You’re not alone.

That voice of doubt?

Every successful leader has it, too.

Second, find your tribe.

Join a peer network.

Build relationships with people who understand your journey.

The difference between successful leaders and everyone else isn’t that they have it all figured out.

It’s that they keep moving forward.

Leadership isn’t having all the answers – it’s being brave enough to keep asking questions.