From Imposter Syndrome to Force of Nature: Breaking the Unwritten Rules of Advancement
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, UNITED STATES, May 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Influential Women Podcast, hosted by Jodie O’Brien, today announced the release of a powerful new episode featuring Chitra Nawbatt, author of The CodeBreaker Mindset™, creator and host of the podcast by the same name, and Partner at General Catalyst, a leading multibillion-dollar global venture capital firm.
In this candid conversation, Chitra reveals the truth most women are never told: every space has written rules and unwritten ones, and doing everything right is not the same as understanding how advancement actually works. The episode, titled “From Imposter Syndrome to Force of Nature: Breaking the Unwritten Rules of Advancement,” explores why so many qualified women feel invisible for promotions and what it takes to reposition themselves for the opportunities they deserve.
Chitra brings a rare combination of perspectives to this conversation. As a former TV news anchor in New York City, she delivered live broadcasts seen by millions and conducted in-depth interviews with global leaders including the Citigroup CEO, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the World Boxing Council Heavyweight Champion for Reuters, BNN Bloomberg, and CCTV. As Global Head of Health Assurance and Innovation at General Catalyst, she has built investment theses at the intersections of technology, media, FinTech, healthcare, and consumer. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School, Harvard University, and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and holds a Certified Public Accountant designation. She has also served as a contributing host of the Harvard Business School SkyDeck Podcast, as Adjunct Professor at Rutgers Business School, and on the President of the United States Advance Team. Her recently released book, The CodeBreaker Mindset™, is a USA TODAY Best-Seller, with a portion of all proceeds donated to cancer research in memory of her father.
What makes this episode so resonant is Chitra’s refusal to soften the diagnosis. She names the pattern many women feel but rarely articulate: that they have been raised to wait their turn, to assume their work will speak for itself, and to interpret resistance as their own deficiency. Chitra calls this what it is and offers women a different way to see themselves and the environments they’re operating inside of.
“It’s not imposter syndrome. It’s imposter treatment. You are born a force of nature. A lot of life headwinds, personal and professional, can beat the force of nature out of you. My encouragement to women is to hang onto your force of nature self.”
She walks listeners through the framework she has spent her career building: pattern recognition as a leadership skill, the difference between data, perception, and manipulation, and what she calls “octagonulating” a decision by examining it from every possible angle. She explains why the people around you tend to fall into one of two categories: those who want to win, and those who are afraid to lose. She speaks honestly about grief and about how living in creation became her answer to overwhelming loss.
“Who is another human to define what my trajectory is? Who is another human to define where I belong or what my limitations are? That is not for any other human, not even Mom and Dad. Your limit is the solar system, which means no limit.”
This episode speaks to women who have done the work and are still waiting to be seen. For professionals stuck in roles that pay the bills but don’t use their full potential. For anyone who has been told, directly or by implication, that they don’t belong. Chitra’s message is clear: the ceiling is not real, the rules are learnable, and the next move is yours to make.
About Influential Women
The Influential Women Podcast features honest, thoughtful conversations with women shaping their industries and building meaningful careers. Produced by Influential Women, a media platform with over 92,000 followers on LinkedIn and the publisher of Influential Women Magazine, the podcast goes beyond titles to explore the real stories behind leadership and impact. Each episode highlights the lessons, challenges, and pivotal moments that have shaped these women’s journeys across business, leadership, and creative fields.
The episode is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms.
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