Welcome to the tension between overconfidence and self-doubt — the quiet forces shaping every engineering team. This episode explores how the Dunning-Kruger effect (overestimating competence) and Impostor Syndrome (underestimating competence) represent opposite but connected forms of miscalibrated self-perception.
We delve into the toxic team dynamics created when overconfident novices clash with self-doubting experts, a scenario that can undermine project outcomes and erode morale. We examine how these psychological phenomena manifest as concrete risks across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), including resistance to crucial feedback during code reviews and the silencing of valuable expertise during architectural and design decisions. The core risk is that the loudest, least competent voices can drown out the quietest, most competent ones, leading to suboptimal technical decisions.
Discover the manager’s playbook for building a resilient organisational culture designed to calibrate confidence. Lasting solutions require embedding systemic processes, not just "fixing" individuals. Learn how to:
Build Psychological Safety by modelling vulnerability and implementing blameless post-mortems to decouple mistakes from personal identity.
Deploy Objective Feedback using frameworks like the Situation-Behaviour-Impact (SBI) model, which delivers evidence-based feedback that is difficult for the overconfident to dismiss or the self-doubting to internalise as personal failure.
Provide External Validation by designing clear career ladders that provide objective, impartial benchmarks for competence, helping engineers internalise their success.
Thank you for listening! ❤️ Build smart, Architect with intent.
🟦 CONNECT WITH DMYTRO
Email: info@golodiuk.com
🟦 EPISODE LINKS (ORIGINAL BLOG POSTS)
Find the full blog post here:
How Do You Lead a Team Caught Between Overconfidence and Self-Doubt
🟦 ABOUT Dmytro | www.golodiuk.com
Dmytro Golodiuk is a highly experienced technology professional with over 17 years in the software industry. His proficiency spans cloud computing, enterprise platforms, software development, and integration technologies, with deep expertise in the Microsoft ecosystem. Dmytro combines his technical knowledge with formal Enterprise Architecture frameworks like TOGAF and ArchiMate to deliver robust and practical solutions.
In addition to his architectural work, Dmytro is a passionate mentor dedicated to helping others grow in their IT careers.
https://mentor.sh/mentors/dmytro_golodiuk
🟦 MENTORSHIP and WHAT I OFFER
A CLEAR ROADMAP: I'll help you forge the path from technical expertise to architectural vision.
BRIDGING THE GAPS: Together, we'll identify and close the crucial gaps between a senior engineering role and the holistic view required of an architect.
FOSTERING YOUR GROWTH: My mentorship is about cultivating your ability to see the bigger picture, to design robust and effective solutions, and to communicate complex ideas with simplicity and impact.
ARCHITECT READY CV PROFILE OPTIMISATION: I'll help you transform your engineering CV into a strategic narrative that compellingly showcases your architectural potential, leadership, and strategic contributions to resonate powerfully with hiring managers.
ACE YOUR ARCHITECT INTERVIEW: I’ll prepare you for the full spectrum of interview scenarios.
🟦 IF YOU'RE A MID TO SENIOR ENGINEER WHO
Aspires to become a Solution Architect.
Recognises the need to develop beyond deep technical skills.
Is ready to embrace the mindset and responsibilities of an architect.
✅ Then I'm the mentor you're looking for. Let's work together to unlock your potential and lay the bridge to your future as a Solution Architect.
https://mentor.sh/mentors/dmytro_golodiuk
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This podcast episode is an AI-narrated version of the original text-based articles from Dmytro's personal blog, which you can find at www.golodiuk.com/news