What if I told you one of the most iconic toys in history was actually a complete failure?
In the 1930s, a company called Kutol Products was failing. They made one thing: wallpaper cleaner, which was a putty-like substance people used to clean soot off their walls before washable paint existed. Washable paint was introduced to the market and quickly became the standard. Their product became obsolete overnight.
The company was dying. Until a nursery school teacher saw something no one else did.
She noticed kids in her classroom were using the wallpaper cleaner to make Christmas ornaments. Not because it was designed for that. But because it was soft, moldable, and sparked their imagination.
She called her brother-in-law, who worked at Kutol, and said: “This isn’t wallpaper cleaner. This is a toy.”
He didn’t see it at first because he was stuck in what the product was supposed to be. A failed wallpaper cleaner didn’t sound like the future of anything.
But she saw something different. She saw possibility. She saw value where the creator only saw failure.
They reformulated it, made it non-toxic, added colors, and renamed it Play-Doh. Within a decade, it became one of the most iconic toys in history. The company went from near bankruptcy to a multi-million dollar success.
All because someone saw what the creator couldn’t see in themselves.
This Is What Imposter Syndrome Does to Us
You know that feeling when someone believes in you more than you believe in yourself? When you get selected for an opportunity and your first thought is “they must have made a mistake”? When someone sees leadership potential in you and you think “if they really knew me, they wouldn’t think that”?
That’s imposter syndrome. And it’s incredibly common, especially among high achievers.
Here’s what it sounds like. “I’m not really qualified for this.” Or “I just got lucky.” Maybe it’s “everyone else belongs here except me.” Sometimes it’s just “it’s only a matter of time before they figure out I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Imposter syndrome keeps you stuck in what you think you’re supposed to be instead of recognizing what you actually are. It makes you see wallpaper cleaner when others see Play-Doh.
The Play-Doh Leadership Lesson
Remember what I wrote about Play-Doh leadership? The best leaders stay pliable without losing their strength. They adapt when circumstances demand a new approach. They reshape with intention and grace.
But here’s the part I want to add. Sometimes you need someone else to see your value before you can see it yourself.
The creator couldn’t see past the failure of his wallpaper cleaner. He was too close to it. Too invested in what it was supposed to be. It took someone with an outside perspective to recognize the potential that was there all along.
The product didn’t change. The formulation was the same. What changed was the lens through which it was viewed.
You are not an imposter. You’re Play-Doh being seen by someone with better vision than you have for yourself right now.
When Others See Value in You, Pay Attention
- If someone believes you’re ready for that leadership role, they might be right.
- If you got selected for that speaking opportunity, maybe it wasn’t a mistake.
- If your mentor keeps pushing you toward bigger challenges, perhaps they see capabilities you’re discounting.
- If your team looks to you for guidance, they’re seeing something real, not a facade.
The voice of imposter syndrome is loud. It’s convincing and honestly, it sounds like wisdom and humility. But often, it’s just fear dressed up as self-awareness.
Here’s what I’ve learned. When someone sees gold in you, don’t dismiss it just because you only see cracks. Remember kintsugi? Those cracks are where the gold gets in. Your struggles, your journey, your unconventional path? They’re not disqualifications, but rather the very things that make you uniquely qualified.
How to Fight Imposter Syndrome
- Collect the evidence. Keep a file of positive feedback, accomplishments, and moments when you made a real difference. When imposter syndrome strikes, review it. Your feelings aren’t facts. They’re just feelings, and feelings can lie.
- Reframe the narrative. “I don’t know everything” isn’t imposter syndrome. It’s reality. No one knows everything. The question isn’t whether you’re perfect. It’s whether you’re capable of learning and growing in the role. Spoiler: you are.
- Talk about it. Imposter syndrome thrives in silence. When you voice it, you’ll discover how many other people feel the same way. That “everyone else has it figured out” belief? It’s an illusion. We’re all figuring it out as we go.
- Remember your Play-Doh moments. Think about times when you almost didn’t pursue something because you felt unqualified, but it turned out to be exactly where you needed to be. You’ve been here before. You made it through. You’ll make it through again.
- Trust the Kay Zufalls in your life. The people who see your potential aren’t naive. They’re not making mistakes. They have perspective you don’t have on yourself. Lean into their vision until you can see it too. They’re seeing something real.
- Acknowledge what you’ve already overcome. You didn’t get here by accident. Look at what you’ve already navigated, learned, survived, and accomplished. That’s not luck. That’s capability.
You’re Not Wallpaper Cleaner
Play-Doh didn’t become valuable when it changed. It was always valuable. It just needed someone to see it differently.
You don’t need to become someone else to deserve the opportunities coming your way. You need to recognize that the person you already are has value others can see.
- That leadership role? You’re not faking your way through it. You’re reshaping into it.
- That recognition? You earned it, even if it feels uncomfortable.
- That opportunity? They chose you for a reason. Maybe it’s time to trust their judgment.
Your imposter syndrome isn’t evidence that you don’t belong. It’s evidence that you’re growing.
Real imposters don’t worry about being imposters. They’re too busy pretending. You’re worried because you care, you want to do well, and you have integrity.
That’s not imposter syndrome. That’s leadership consciousness.
So the next time that voice tells you that you don’t belong, remember this. Play-Doh was a failed wallpaper cleaner until someone saw it differently.
You’re not what you think you’re supposed to be. You’re something better. You’re flexible, adaptable, creative, and full of untapped potential.
Stay pliable. Stay strong. And trust the people who see the gold in you.
What’s your Play-Doh moment? When has someone seen potential in you that you couldn’t see in yourself?
Share your story in the comments.