What Is Imposter Syndrome?
Are you constantly second guessing yourself? Do you struggle with feeling like a fraud? Or maybe you feel like no matter how much effort you put into something, it’s just never good enough? If so, you may be struggling with impostor syndrome.
I myself have experienced imposter syndrome at several moments in my life—most vividly when I was promoted to a Senior Vice President role leading the Americas business unit at The Fossil Group. I’d been at the company in various leadership roles for a long time, so intellectually I knew I was prepared, ready, and deserving of this promotion. And yet, despite the affirmation I was receiving from my team and leaders, and the results we were delivering, I remember feeling this overwhelming fear that I would be exposed as incapable and not right for the role. At the time, I didn’t know about imposter syndrome, but when I read about it years later, it was a big “aha moment” for me.
As defined by the Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology, “impostor syndrome is a condition that describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or imposter.” Individuals struggling with impostor syndrome often credit external factors—like luck or help from others—for any success, and see any setback or flaw, no matter how minor, as evidence of their inadequacy.
Impostor Syndrome was first identified by two clinical psychologists, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, in 1978. They surveyed over 100 highly successful women, who despite earned degrees, scholastic honors, high achievement, and praise and professional recognition, were unable to experience an internal sense of success.
And while imposter syndrome is still more prevalent among women, and even more so among women of color—men are also susceptible to developing this mindset. In fact, it is estimated that 70% of all successful people will experience at least one episode of this phenomenon at some point in their lives. In our work at Inseus, we regularly work with both male and female leaders who need support overcoming imposter syndrome to unleash their most effective, amazing, and authentic selves.
Further research by Dr. Valerie Young, the co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, categorizes imposter syndrome into five main types:
The Perfectionist—they’re primary concern is “how” something is done. They believe that one minor flaw means they are not good enough
The Superhuman—they’re primary concern is “how many” roles they can juggle and excel in. They believe that not being able to handle it all means they are not good enough
The Natural Genius—they’re primary concern is the ease and speed with which they complete a task. They believe that any amount of struggle means they are not good enough
The Soloist—they’re primary concern is “who” completes the task. They believe to needing to ask for help means they are not good enough
The Expert—they’re primary concern is “how much” they know. They believe that lack of knowledge in any amount means they are not good enough
In reality, you may find that more than one of these types of imposter syndrome resonates with you or even that your type changes over time. A great place to start is simply bringing awareness to any of these patterns of thought and behavior. This can be the first step in working to overcome them.
We can also bring our awareness to the “imposter syndrome cycle”. Imposter syndrome often starts when you’re assigned a new project or task. Anxiety takes over, and as a result you may either procrastinate or over-prepare to the point of inducing additional stress. Eventually you complete the project and experience a momentary sense of relief. But you quickly rationalize or dismiss your success. In turn, your feelings of anxiety and self-doubt increase, until the cycle starts over again.
One simple practice to add to your toolkit to help interupt the imposter syndrome cycle, is an acceptance micro mantra:
Breathing in, I do my best. Breathing out, I let go of the rest.
Repeating this phrase silently to yourself—or even aloud when you’re in private—can serve as a reminder of your inherent worth and encourage feelings of forgiveness and self-compassion, all of which helps you manage reactivity and decrease stress.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog where we’ll share a part 2 on imposter syndrome, featuring even more strategies to help you manage and overcome it!
Mindfully yours,
Ashley