Is Imposter Syndrome holding you back from progressing in your career? Imposter Syndrome is the idea you have only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications. It is the overwhelming feeling that you do not deserve your success. It convinces you that you are not as intelligent or talented as you may seem. Anyone can be affected, regardless of their experience or success. You may feel that you don’t belong at all. Or you might find that you often question your ability or ask yourself, “What gives me the right?”
Initially defined by psychologists in the 1970s, impostor syndrome occurs among people who are unable to internalize and accept their success. They often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.
How Common is It?
An estimated 70% of people experience these impostor feelings at some point in their lives, according to a review article published in the International Journal of Behavioural Science. Even the Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks has self-doubt. In a TV interview in the USA he said, “No matter what we’ve done, there comes a point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?” Despite having won two Academy Awards and appearing in more than 70 movies and TV shows, Hanks says he still finds himself doubting his own abilities. “It’s a high-wire act that we all walk,” he says.
Think of your greatest achievements in your career and life. Do you feel proud of what you have accomplished? Or do you feel like a fraud? Does each new job or promotion or accolade bring you joy? Or is it accompanied by the dread that, one day, your cover will be blown, and everyone will find out that you just got lucky!
If you experience feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, then you may be surprised to learn that you are in great company. Impostor Syndrome is typically associated with high achievers! So, if you do feel like a fraud, then the chances are that you are a lot more capable than you think. Real frauds would not worry about any of this!
Who Does it Happen to?
I often meet with clients who tell me they are “not good enough for the role” or who don’t apply for a role or promotion because “I don’t think I am what they are looking for”. Interestingly, it also tends to be more female clients than male clients who tell me this. Recently a client told me they were thinking of pulling out of the recruitment process because they didn’t think they were good enough. This was after they were selected for an interview for the role! As an ex-recruiter I reassured them they looked on paper, like the absolute perfect fit for the role! That potentially they would be the number one choice for the role.
At the moment, with so many of us still working from home I think we are over analysing things. Are we good enough? Will someone think we are a fraud? Do we really have enough leadership experience to apply for that role? I think many of us can live too much in our own heads and become super critical of ourselves. We can often to be way too hard on ourselves and experience huge self-doubt.
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Recognizing that you have Impostor Syndrome is often the hardest part for many people. Some people believe that the alternative is they might sound arrogant and self-important, but this does not need to be the case. To get out of this habit you need to break the cycle and learn how to re-frame your thoughts. Then do these 3 things:
1. Acknowledge your Feelings
One of the first things to do is observe the thought, then re-frame this and put it in perspective. Ask yourself, does that thought help or hinder me? The only difference between someone who experiences imposter syndrome and someone who doesn’t is how they respond to their own thoughts. Try re-framing your thoughts and writing them down. For example, you might write, “I gave a presentation to the leadership team, and although they said I did well, I could see that they weren’t impressed by what I was saying.” However, if you reflect on what you have written, and on how the leadership team actually reacted, you will likely see that their response was sincere, and that your fears were unfounded.
2. Talk to People
Reach out to your close friends and colleagues who know you well. Tell them your fears and concerns and ask for feedback. Quite often you will find they have similar thoughts about themselves! You then start to realise that many people feel the same, and how important it is to believe in ourselves. Re-frame your thought, don’t let it consume you and paralyse you from deciding.
3. Be Kind to Yourself
Thoughts are just that, thoughts! You are thinking and feeling things but much of the time it is not what other people think of you. Start to keep a record of positive feedback. Ensure you practice listening to praise, taking in the compliment, and drawing strength and nourishment from it. Write down why your negative thoughts are false or meaningless and explain why you are qualified or worthy enough for this job. Additionally, if you are a manager, be sure to give praise where it’s due, and share positive feedback about successful team members. Doing this also encourages your team members to speak out and give positive feedback too.
Finally, be aware that overcoming impostor syndrome is an ongoing process, which can be different for each person, but it is achievable for everyone. It is not something that you just “fix” once and expect it to go away. You do need to continually practice and be persistent. Constantly re-framing a situation will often help.
So next time you feel that imposter syndrome creeping up on you, do the 3 things. Then, stop, take a breath, and remind yourself you are awesome, and you deserve this!
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