Everything You Need to Know About Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome

Everything You Need to Know About Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like an imposter or fraud and that achievements are undeserved or achieved by luck alone. Typically imposter syndrome is experienced by high achievers who excel at their work but feel inadequate despite evidence to the contrary. 

Recognition of imposter syndrome dates back to the 1970s. It was initially recognized in high achieving women, who, despite being successful, were worried about being seen as intellectual frauds. They also suffered from anxiety, extreme fear of failure and experienced some overall dissatisfaction with life. At the time, some hypothesized this to result from women comparing themselves to men. But we now know that every type of person experiences imposter syndrome. 

Characteristics 

Imposter syndrome is not one size fits all. Some common signs include;

  • Overachieving 
  • Self-doubt
  • Inability to accurately assess personal skills 
  • Attributing success to external factors, such as luck
  • Disappointed about current successes
  • Fear of not living up to personal expectations
  • Setting high expectations or goals and feeling disappointed when they aren’t achieved
  • Sabotaging success 
  • Criticizing performance
  • Feeling uncomfortable with praise or recognition 
  • Feeling stress, anxiety, and depression as a result of feelings of inadequacy 

Do You Experience Imposter Syndrome? 

Do you have thoughts of being a fraud? Think you experience imposter syndrome? Is it negatively impacting your mental health or achievement? 

Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you may be experiencing imposter syndrome:

  • Do you downplay your expertise or second guess yourself in areas where you’re an expert?
  • When you achieve something, do you feel lucky?
  • Do you agonize over small mistakes at work? 
  • Do you worry that people, especially coworkers, will find out that you’re a fraud? 
  • Are you sensitive to criticism, even when it’s constructive?
  • Do you attribute your achievement to outside factors?
  • Do you feel like your work needs to be perfect all the time?
  • Are you working harder or longer than your coworkers?

Imposter syndrome can also be divided into five common subtypes. If you’re still unsure if you experience imposter syndrome think about if you identify with these categories. 

5 Subtypes of Imposter Syndrome

Perfectionist 

Perfectionists tend to set very high expectations for themselves and are rarely satisfied with their performance. Even if they achieve most of their goals, they still feel like a failure and fixate on their flaws or mistakes. 

This tends to lead to feeling a lot of pressure and high levels of anxiety. Success often doesn’t feel satisfying because they feel they could have done better. 

Expert

The expert tends to always want to continue learning. They’re generally unsatisfied with their level of knowledge and want to know every piece of information before beginning a project. Even though they are usually very skilled, they don’t believe in themselves or their skill and underrate their level of expertise. 

Often, ‘ experts’ won’t apply for jobs unless they fit every single qualification. They also tend not to speak up or give their opinion because they are worried about looking stupid. 

Superhero

Super Heroes tend to push themselves to work as hard as possible due to their feelings of inadequacy. They tend to feel that working harder may prove to others that they’re not an imposter. 

This often looks like a ‘workaholic’. 

Natural Genius

A ‘natural genius’ tends to be naturally intelligent and succeeded in school at a young age. As adults, when they struggle or have to work hard to accomplish something, they see this as a sign of failure. This failure makes them believe they were an imposter all along. They also set lofty goals for themselves and are devastated when they don’t accomplish them on their first attempt. 

Soloist

Soloists are people who overvalue individualism and tend to work alone as a result. They tend to reject support from others. They also feel that needing support or asking for help is a failure or a sign of incompetence. 

Why We Experience Imposter Syndrome – Causes of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is not an official diagnosis according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-V), but it can cause a significant amount of distress. The exact cause of imposter syndrome is unknown. Although anyone can experience imposter syndrome, a few factors may increase a person’s risk of developing imposter syndrome. These include:

  • Family Environment: Many family environments can lead to developing imposter syndrome later in life. Children who live in a household where high expectations are placed on them, successes are not celebrated, and mistakes are punished harshly, for example. Additionally, those who are ‘gifted’ or find it easy to perform well as a child may experience doubts (natural genius). The sibling(s) that grow up with a gifted child may also internalize feelings of inadequacy that aren’t justified. 
  • Existing Mental Health Conditions: Those who are diagnosed with anxiety and depression often experience imposter syndrome.
  • New Challenges: Imposter syndrome often arises during life transitions where expectations may change, for example, graduating from university, getting a new job, or getting a promotion. It’s common to feel undeserving or fear that you will not perform adequately or are simply unprepared. 

Negative Mental Health Impacts of Imposter Syndrome

Regular feelings of feel doubt and inadequacy, increased pressure and expectations, and never being proud of oneself can lead a person to experience other mental health symptoms. 

It’s common for imposter syndrome to be associated with excessive worry, which can lead to anxiety. Feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy can lead to feelings of depression. Increased pressure on oneself and excessive work can lead to burnout. Burnout is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion as a result of ongoing workplace stress. 

Long-term feelings of imposter syndrome can lead to problems psychologically and professionally. 

How to Manage Imposter Syndrome

If you see yourself in the definition and characteristics of imposter syndrome, know you’re not alone. Most people experience similar feelings of doubt. Recognizing it is a great place to start. And there are several ways to overcome these negative beliefs about yourself. 

1. Talk to mentors or colleagues. 

Talking to your colleagues or mentors can remind you that you’re not alone in your experience. It’s also helpful to be able to express ourselves. Consider asking for feedback or reinforcement on your work from these people if you’re comfortable. 

2. Remember what you do well. 

Take the time to think realistically about your abilities. Write down what you’ve accomplished and what you’re good at (even the small ones). Having trouble focusing on your successes? Try a Personal SWOT analysis. (Remember that we all have weaknesses too).

3. Recognize that no one is perfect. 

Remind yourself no one is perfect. You wouldn’t expect perfection from someone else, so why would you expect it from yourself? Practice not doing things perfectly, but rather, do something reasonably well. Don’t forget to reward yourself for your progress. 

4. Celebrate your successes. 

Those who experience imposter syndrome tend to be very driven and put a lot of weight on productivity. Before moving on to the next thing on your to-do list, take time to celebrate your success. 

5. Question and challenge your thoughts. 

Recognize the negative self-talk voices that arise when thinking about your work, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Take the time to think critically about those voices and challenge them. Remember that imposter syndrome is typically experienced by high-achieving individuals. So, the fact that you recognize it in yourself says something about you. Note, genuine imposters don’t have these thoughts. 

6. Stop comparing. 

A good portion of imposter syndrome comes from feeling not as successful as the people around you. Stop comparing yourself to others; their successes do not impact yours. Celebrate your teams’ success as well as yours. 

7. Talk to a professional. 

Talking to a mental health professional can help manage these feelings; they can help provide you with the tools to break the cycle of imposter thinking. 

Imposter Syndrome in the Workplace

Imposter syndrome can be experienced in several environments, such as school, at work, at home (feeling unprepared to parent, for example), and even in relationships (not feeling worthy of love). The workplace is the most common place situation to experience imposter syndrome and the most commonly discussed. 

In the short term, it may look like hard workers and high achievers. Initially, to leaders, this may seem like a good thing. But this type of pressure and overworking, even if self-imposed, can lead to burnout. 

Recognizing Imposter Syndrome in the Workplace

Leaders need to recognize the possibility of imposter syndrome in their teams as well as in themselves. Recognizing it early can prevent burnout and helps to maintain the overall psychological health and wellness of workers. 

How to recognize imposter syndrome? 

Familiarize yourself with how imposter syndrome manifests, as outlined in this article, and pay attention to these behaviours in workers. 

Make wellness check-ins a part of regular meetings. This provides an opportunity for workers to express how they are feeling in their work. Make sure to address workload specifically – take a temperature check with workers to see how they feel about their current workload. It is also essential to check in with team members who appear to be overachievers or often take on extra work. 

Managing Imposter Syndrome as a Leader

Although leaders should be paying attention to what’s happening in their teams, leaders themselves are not immune to the experience of imposter syndrome. In reality, leaders may be as, or even more, susceptible to experiencing imposter syndrome due to their role. 

When a leader experiences imposter syndrome, the entire team feels the effects. These leaders are less likely to communicate effectively, to motivate and reward workers, and delegate tasks. As a result, teams are less collaborative. 

Leaders can manage imposter syndrome both within themselves and within their teams by focusing on the organizational culture. 

1. Promote Problem Solving 

One important thing that distinguishes a person who experiences imposter syndrome from someone who does not is how they respond to difficulties. Creating a workplace culture where it’s encouraged to problem solve creativity will help to foster confidence. 

Having a leader who encourages problem-solving provides evidence to workers that the leader believes in their skill. This should also include encouragement of problem-solving among teams, not just individually. 

In problem-solving, it’s important to recognize effort and results and not reprimand workers for small mistakes or missteps. 

2. Foster Openness and Vulnerability 

Make vulnerability part of the organizational strategy. And create a workplace environment where it’s comfortable, safe, and expected to be vulnerable. Vulnerability helps to build empathy and authenticity in relationships which helps to foster healthy, collaborative teams. 

This includes openness and vulnerability from leaders. Vulnerable leaders are more transparent, which helps promote connection with workers and opens the channels of communication. 

In leaders, this can look like having difficult conversations that aren’t always neat and tidy.  Showing that uncertainty or challenges can be managed through collaboration and problem-solving and don’t need to result in panic. 

3. Encourage Questions

There are many instances where those who experience imposter syndrome are afraid to ask questions or speak up in groups due to fear of looking stupid. Encouraging questions and not making people feel stupid for them helps to combat this fear and perfectionism. 

So, make sure workers know it’s okay to ask questions. Asking questions acknowledges it’s okay to have gaps in knowledge. And reinforces that asking questions helps fill those gaps through collaboration and learning. This develops a culture of knowledge sharing rather than one of shame. Leaders can build question-asking time into regular meetings. They can also encourage this behaviour by thanking team members for asking questions. 

Leaders should also be unafraid of not having the answer to all questions. Instead, show confidence in their ability to find out the answer. 

Leaders should also consider how they put together teams. Teams should consist of complementary individuals with different skill sets to foster collaboration. 

Is The Term Imposter Syndrome Problematic?

Although imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis in the DSM-V, the term itself can carry some weight. The use of the word syndrome makes it easy to pathologize those who experience self-doubt. Moreover, self-doubt is common and often makes sense in the context of significant changes. Such as new roles, new projects, and changing expectations. The term imposter also holds a lot of weight. Labeling these feelings of anxiousness and doubt as such could add to the challenges a person experiences. 

The way we are currently thinking about imposter syndrome also tends to put a significant portion of the blame on the individual. It does not address the situations or environments that may encourage this type of normal thought process. It also does not address the biases that exist that make it more likely for some groups to develop imposter syndrome, such as women, people of colour, etc.

So, while addressing self-doubt can be helpful, it’s as important to address the organizational culture of a workplace. Doing so prioritizes workers’ psychological health and safety and creates more effective and cohesive teams. 

Final Thoughts

Imposter syndrome is common and personal doubt is even more common. If you’re experiencing feelings of doubt right now, know you’re not alone, and it’s not hopeless. Take some time to recognize your successes and your talents. With a bit of practice, you can become more confident in yourself and your work – no matter what position you hold. And remember, those who experience imposter syndrome are typically high achievers who doubt their success. Conversely, those who appear confident may not always be competent. 

Further Reading 

Top Leadership Styles and When to Use Them
The Characteristic Traits That Make A Great Leader
To Be, Or Not To Be, Aggressive in Leadership?

Recommended Resources:
 

Uncover your strengths and weaknesses with our complimentary assessment. Boost your effectiveness at work and with your team.

Free Resource Library: Access our extensive collection of valuable resources for instant support in your personal and professional growth.

Explore Our Course Library:

Enhance your leadership skills with our diverse selection of courses. Take your abilities to the next level and become a more effective leader and team player.

Testimonials

Our Clients Love the Professional Leadership Institute

Your team will, too! Check out some reviews from our students.
The PLI program was invaluable to our network.
The range of topics delivered, the open dialogue, experience, and examples that PLI brought to each session were outstanding and provided a path for our Franchisees and Managers to look at leadership, coaching, and connecting with their teams in a new light. Many have implemented these strategies in their bakeries and have seen immediate results.
Michelle C.
COBS Bread
Highly recommend to help your team move forward
We have locations around BC and Alberta, so getting people on the same page can be very difficult... Until now. Our entire management team and location managers take the same great courses and then meet monthly online with our coach to apply it to our situation. People are engaged, the courses are excellent, we love our coach, and we are all learning together!
Jason Fawcett
President, Kelson Group
The result has been a transformation of our culture. 
We decided to implement PLI's strategies across the country in over 150 locations and over 3500 employees.  The result has been a transformation of our culture.  People's lives have been positively impacted - professionally and personally.  Morale is high and sales and profits are up as a result.
Daryl Verbeek
Daryl Verbeek
We’ve learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all
The roadmap laid out set our business up to quintuple in sales.  We've learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all, attract top talent, and spend our time focused on results, not internal staffing problems.  I highly recommend PLI to you - it's worked for us!
John DeJong
Satisfied Client
I had no idea that running a business could be this fun!
In less than 18 months of working with Trevor, he has transformed my business from being average to exceptional, where mediocrity is not acceptable, where being great is standard.  Working with PLI has allowed me to realize my dream of not simply owning a job, but owning a business.
Justin Bontkes
Principal, Caliber Projects
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year with Trevor’s help.  He is funny, relatable, and his tools are very very practical and have helped us focus and upgrade our teams throughout our retail network. Trevor recently spoke to an employee group, and one person remarked, “I could listen to Trevor all day.”   We would highly recommend Trevor.
Stan Pridham
Founder, KMS Tools
The results have been remarkable
At first, we resisted, “This just won’t work with a law firm.” But we persisted and the results have been remarkable: our client base and profits have steadily improved, and staff engagement and morale is the healthiest its ever been.
Doug Lester
Partner, RDM Lawyers
Helped our fast-growing business become what it is today
I've experienced PLI's approach first hand and it's been crucial to sustaining our growth.  I can't imagine a business that wouldn't benefit greatly from his help.
Brian Antenbring
Founder, TEEMA
Provided practical ways to make positive changes
Trevor was incredibly well-received by the entire organization. He was able to articulate people issues that many of our franchisees were experiencing and provided them with practical ways to make positive changes. We have implemented the Star Chart tool across the organization and see it as vital to building happy, effective teams.
Aaron Gillespie
President, COBS Bread
Scroll to Top

Start Learning Today

For Individuals

Unlock your potential and accelerate your career with sought-after management and leadership skills.

 

Transform Your Organization

For Teams

Book a consultation to discuss your challenges and discover how we can help you build a winning team.

 

Sign Up For Weekly Tips!

Get Weekly Coaching Tips Straight To Your Inbox Every Monday.