What Is Imposter Syndrome at Work and How to Overcome It

While it is a relief to know – and vital to remember – that we are not the only people experiencing these fraudulent feelings, at the same time allowing serious self-doubt to take hold can impact our confidence in seizing bigger and brighter opportunities. It’s important that we develop strategies to help ourselves and others tackle imposter syndrome so that we can continue to develop and grow. The first step is to increase awareness of what it is and why it occurs.

If we are to combat imposter syndrome, we need to acknowledge that it can happen to anyone. This even includes our Managing Director Jayne Ruff. In 2018, she spoke to travel tech Skyscanner about the fascinating topic of imposter syndrome as part of their International Women’s Day celebrations. Public speaking is one of the ways Jayne has experienced imposter syndrome, but standing in a room full of exceptionally capable and highly accomplished women and men, she knew she was not alone.

We all experience imposter syndrome at one time or another, and it can be a very isolating feeling when we do. Knowing how to recognise and overcome can give us new confidence to face the challenges presented to us.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

First defined by psychologists Dr Pauline Clance and Dr Suzanne Imes in the 1970s, imposter syndrome continues to have a strong presence across organisations today. It is categorised by three key features:

1. Believing that other people think you are better than you know you really are
2. Fearing that your true capabilities will soon be found out
3. Attributing personal success to external factors such as luck, chance and being in the right place at the right time

Imposter syndrome is particularly likely to strike when we start a new job, take on new responsibilities or have a change in situation, such as relocating, returning from a career break or following maternity leave. When we are hit with these feelings of self-doubt, we might try to compensate by working late, procrastinating in pursuit of perfection, or seeking further qualifications to help justify our position.

What Imposter Syndrome Is Not

Though we call this psychological phenomenon a “syndrome,” it is not a diagnosable mental illness. Many of us have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in our lives, but that does not equate to a real and treatable clinical diagnosis. It is also not:

1. A sign of low self-esteem: Imposter syndrome can affect achievers who have previously thought of themselves as having high self-esteem.
2. Exclusive to one group: Though more women tend to report having imposter syndrome, it can affect anyone.
3. A reflection of reality: Imposter syndrome tends to be a distortion of reality that causes people to downplay their achievements and successes. The truth is that they should accept the praise and recognition they deserve.

Imposter Syndrome Today

More recent research suggests that 70% of women and men feel fraudulent in the workplace—across all levels. It is often seen among high performers, because high achievers are likely to set high personal standards.

The fast-paced and ever-changing world we now operate in also plays a part.

As high achievers, we want to keep up with every change and shifting goal post, which can be hard – and at times unrealistic – to do. The continued blurring of our professional and personal boundaries further heightens this. We set incredibly high expectations to be the best we possibly can be at work, at home, at the gym, as a parent, and with friends.

When we are experiencing imposter syndrome, we tend to compare what we perceive as our weaknesses with other people’s strengths.

We also make a lot of assumptions about how other people feel about a certain task or role – concluding that they must find it much easier than we do – when, in reality, it’s impossible for us to really know. Within today’s world where social media has such a strong presence in how we gather and compare personal information, it’s very easy to read posts and conclude: “I’m not good enough.”

Equally, when we try to capture our self-worth within a tweet or a short post, we are at risk of focusing too much on the end result and not the hard work, effort, and talent we’ve demonstrated to get there. We define success as the final achievement rather than the journey we took to get there. Setting this as our benchmark for success can leave us open to the impact of imposter syndrome. While there are lots of brilliant benefits to the vast amounts of information and insight we gain from our digital world, we need to ensure that we are taking a balanced approach. We must use the information available to us as a source of inspiration, not comparison.

We also need a healthy interpretation of what success looks like for us, taking time to consider what we personally value. This will likely require that we re-set the success bar to an ambitious but also more realistic level.

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Here’s a quick summary of some practical tips and tactics we can use daily to challenge fraudulent feelings when they arise.

1. Manage negative self-talk

One of the first ways of overcoming imposter syndrome is to learn how best to manage the negative self-talk that comes with it. We need to train our brain to reframe negative thoughts. Over time, this helps us change the way that we consequently feel.

We can take guidance from cognitive therapy to help us achieve this. Rather than over-generalise fraudulent feelings, the first step is to identify the trigger situations that spark imposter syndrome: public speaking, interacting with senior colleagues, talking up in team meetings, and meeting new clients, to name a few. According to research conducted by psychologist Dr Albert Ellis, it’s not the trigger event itself that causes us to feel and respond a particular way. Rather, it’s the negative thoughts and beliefs we form that influence our feelings and consequent behaviours.

We can learn to manage these thoughts in order to change how we feel when faced with our imposter syndrome triggers. Take, for example, public speaking. If we believe: “I am not an expert in this subject,” we are more likely to doubt our capability and feel anxious about presenting as a result. If we challenge this belief and acknowledge: “I am passionate about this subject,” then, as a result, our confidence will grow, and our ability to manage the natural nerves that accompany presenting will increase.

To achieve this, take time to listen to your inner dialogue. What are you telling yourself? What are you consequently feeling and doing (or not doing)? Then, reframe the negative self-talk in a more positive way, focusing on what you objectively know that you can do. Challenge yourself to think this way the next time you are faced with a trigger event, and see how you feel as a result. Repeat this process, and, over time, the ability to manage the negative self-talk will become more automatic.

2. Recalibrate success

Do you feel comfortable failing? We hear a lot about the need to fail fast, fail forward, and create the freedom to make mistakes in order to drive continued innovation and evolution. Failure is now recognised as the key to business growth.

One of the challenges of imposter syndrome is that it keeps us firmly rooted in our comfort zone. This makes failure a difficult notion to embrace. In addition, when we set ourselves incredibly high, and often performance-based, personal standards for success, we are at risk of constantly feeling like we are not measuring up. This can prevent us from reaching our true potential.

One way we can overcome this challenge is to adopt a growth mindset, which has become popular in business over recent years. According to the original research conducted by Carol Dweck, individuals who believe their talents can be developed have a growth mindset. That is, they tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset who believe their capability is innate. Dweck highlights in her research that we all have fixed mindset triggers, which are often associated with feelings of insecurity. In these situations, we avoid the challenges in front of us altogether, which inhibits our ability to grow.

When we adopt a growth mindset, we thrive on challenge and redefine failure “not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.”

To break this thinking pattern, we need to redefine failure as an opportunity to grow. Challenge the fear of making mistakes, and see yourself as a constant work in progress, rather than attempting to present a perfect end product.

We need to give learning outcomes equally as much weight in our measurement of success as performance outcomes (not just as individuals, but across organisations, too). Focus on what you are learning and not just how you are performing.

Unearthing our innate curiosity supports this. To be curious, we need to feel comfortable not knowing all the answers. We need to ask questions and explore unchartered territories. In essence, we need to embrace the idea of being a novice in areas that are new or less familiar to us. Take small steps – or giant leaps – outside of your comfort zone to identify opportunities for continued development and growth.

To create a growth mindset culture, we also need to encourage continued commitment to collective behaviours such as sharing information, collaborating, seeking feedback, and accepting mistakes. Teams that learn together grow together. Over time, this will help to tackle feelings of imposter syndrome at an organisational level.

3. Celebrate small wins

Can you remember exactly what you did on this day last week? Probably not.

When we are operating in a fast-paced and high-achieving work environment, we often take our day-to-day achievements for granted. It’s just a part of the job. On the flip side, we spend a lot more time ruminating about the things that don’t go our way, which has a negative impact on our ability to kick the negative feelings associated with imposter syndrome. We need to take time to reflect on the little successes—and not just the big wins.

Doing this regularly is key. Spending just two minutes a day reflecting on and writing down one thing that has been a success for you will make a big difference to your self-perception. We also need to take time to fully digest the praise and positive feedback we receive from others, and avoid falling into the thinking trap of: “If I can do it, how hard can it be?” It’s important to consciously consider the impact you have personally had on success, in order to continually learn from and maximise these strengths going forward. Saving all of these reflections and revisiting them at moments when rumination could take hold helps to refocus on the bigger picture and greater purpose. Rewarding yourself for every milestone reached with something as simple as your favourite coffee will keep you motivated and moving forward.

Don’t forget to also give positive feedback to others, even if someone appears confident on the outside it doesn’t always mean they believe it internally.

4. Take a step back and be in the moment

Since the article above was written in 2018 and given the unprecedented amount of change we are all experiencing at an individual and organisational level, it feels like a really important time to review the different strategies we can use to address these feelings if they (quite understandably) arise.

Psychological flexibility helps us fully connect with the present moment, notice the difficult thoughts and feelings that we are experiencing, and then decide whether we want to move towards or turn away from them.

Why is this significant? Think about something that is really important to you. It could be as simple as achieving a good work-life balance and giving time and attention to loved ones. It could also be a desire to fix base needs or problems like exhaustion or feelings of guilt.

Left to their own devices, uncontrolled emotions can become overwhelming and knock us off track. Psychological flexibility is about recognising that no behaviour or belief is good or bad; the key is to consider how it is serving you. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps us embrace the good and the bad as part of the journey that we are on and then make a choice to pursue or change our behaviour accordingly. It’s about creating a psychologically safe space to think and show some self-compassion. When we have space to sit and embrace our feelings, we have a good foundation from which we can fight imposter syndrome.

Workplace imposter syndrome can feel overwhelming because it is difficult to escape from within the confines of an office. Whether you work from home or you head to a traditional office every day, it can be difficult to shut the door and leave the mountain of work behind. Choosing to mindfully do a values-based activity can be incredibly beneficial.

Choose something that brings you joy and gives you a chance to reflect and gain self-confidence. Nurture your mental health and combat any low self-esteem with meaningful activities that genuinely leave you feeling refreshed.

What Can Employers Do to Help Employees Overcoming Imposter Syndrome?

Employees cannot be expected to manage and overcome imposter syndrome on their own. The nature of the condition means that it can be quite difficult for them to see a patch forward. With the help of an engaged manager, the employee will hopefully be able to turn their way of thinking around and see that their negative thoughts simply aren’t true.

Here are a few ways for employers and managers to support employees as they try to overcome imposter syndrome.

1. Establish clear expectations early on

Imposter syndrome can quickly arise when employees are left to their own devices, especially when they are newly hired. They are abandoned to fill their diaries with tasks that they don’t yet know how to prioritise or manage. If they try to blunder in and make changes, they can encounter resistance from more established coworkers who are used to a certain way of working.

A manager needs to sit down with their new employee, ideally on their first day or during their first week, and have a clear and honest discussion about expectations and success metrics. Work together to come up with an action plan that has a mix of short-, medium-, and long-term goals, and circle back to create more concrete goals when the employee is more settled.

2. Check in frequently and follow up quickly

Even with goals in place, an employee can end up feeling adrift if they are just left to their own devices. Establish how often check-ins would help (as some might be happier with more frequent meetings than others), and commit to them in the calendar. Find out where they are struggling and try to nail down some solutions that will help them succeed. For example, if an employee is interested in another aspect of the business, setting them up with a mentor they can shadow will allow them to explore this interest.

Try to keep momentum on these discussion points. If they are left with no path forward, the employee may begin to doubt themselves again, and the imposter feelings can resurface.

3. Support interest in career growth

A bad manager is one who assumes that their employees will stay with them forever. Even if a worker has positive work experience within a company, they may wish to pursue other opportunities elsewhere. Imposter syndrome can isolate an employee and leave them feeling like they can’t progress.

To combat this, employers and managers need to be vocal in their support for an employee’s career path. Make it clear that their aspirations, whatever they might be, are respected and uplifted and that there is a way for them to progress and better themselves.

Imposters, everywhere.

The final piece of advice for managing imposter syndrome is to normalise the behaviour—remember that you are not alone.

Be brave and talk to someone you trust about how you are feeling, and the chances are the person you speak to has felt the same way, too.

When we realise that someone who we really admire (or fear) also worries about their achievements, this can give us a really helpful perspective on our own anxieties. It also opens up opportunities to seek support and ask for help from someone who has effectively conquered these same beliefs (or may still be working to manage them today). Becoming a mentor to someone else is also a great way to discover your inner expert, and incredibly rewarding experience for both parties.

If you’d like to work with someone to overcome imposter syndrome, amongst other workplace challenges, we offer industry-leading 1:1 and group programmes to enhance your personal impact and leadership skills. Reach out to us here.