Imposter syndrome

I also know exactly what’s going on here. I’ve coached others with a similar issue and know the tools and techniques to get my head back in the game so why does this Imposter Syndrome keep lurking in the depths of my psyche?

Imposter Syndrome was first coined by two psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanna Imes back in the late 1970’s after spending years counselling senior and highly credible professors, administrators and students, who were extremely concerned about being exposed as frauds. These reputable and respected individuals claimed that their success was down to overworking, others promoting their abilities or just being lucky.

It has been observed that Imposter Syndrome disproportionately affects people from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in their industry. Clinical psychologist Emily Hu notes that ‘We’re more likely to experience imposter syndrome if we don’t see many examples of people who look like us or share our background who are clearly succeeding in our field.’

It's a challenging issue and it can affect anyone, in any industry and at any level of their game. Maybe you're just starting out in your career and think everyone else knows more than you? Maybe your career has advanced beyond your expectations and you feel guilty that you haven't done enough to deserve your success? Or perhaps "success" is something that you only really see others achieve

I have been working in the leadership development arena for over 16 years, continuously learning about a wide range of relevant subjects and maintaining and improving my professional qualifications in my field. I have co-founded a rapidly growing company and to date, have never received bad feedback from a client (said whilst touching wood). Yet I still question whether I’m good enough to be standing in front of people sharing knowledge and supporting their personal and professional growth - I even open up sometimes and explain how I'm feeling to some groups who might be challenged by a similar experience and they always confidently say ‘well it doesn't show’.

You might be able to spot someone who suffers from Imposter Syndrome because they tend to exhibit certain behaviours, such as:

• Self-deprecation; constantly putting themselves down and referencing failures.
• They lack belief in their skills and competencies and avoid assertive language when describing how they might approach a task, project or presentation
• They may seem overly humble and not want to take the credit for their work.
• They may avoid social events because they feel like an outsider
  
  

On the other side, someone with a tendency to overcook their abilities with Dunning-Kruger might have certain behaviours that are noticeable by others, such as:

• Someone who is overly confident about their abilities even if they've never really proved themselves.
• They can be very vocal in group environments with a disregard for social cues or an awareness of the impression they are giving off.
  
  

Of course, there’s a dynamic relationship between these two and it's a fierce balance that's never static. In fact, many people change from one to the other throughout the day or depending on their environment, their emotions and perceived confidence of the job in hand.

If you answered yes to these questions, it’s likely you’ve experienced Imposter Syndrome on more than one occasion and your self-perception differs significantly from how others perceive you.

The good news is that Imposter Syndrome is curable and, there’s some simple steps you can take to get on top of it and relieve yourself of the shadowing doubt.

Step one – Acknowledgement

Your inner voice plays a big part in Imposter Syndrome and causes emotions to run high. The first step to healing is hearing your truth. When you notice your inner voice questioning your place at the table, become objective and challenge your doubts. Hear the feedback you’re getting and ask yourself when has someone else given you similar feedback. Imposter Syndrome is an internal state that we create ourselves and by separating fact and fiction we can change the emotion.

Step two – Phone a friend

A problem shared is a problem halved. Talking to a friend or colleague can relieve some of the frustration and bring a new awareness to how you're feeling. When talking through something we’re struggling with we almost go through a process of self-therapy. Just hearing ourselves talk openly about something helps unpick some of the difficulties we face. By talking to others you’re also normalising the condition and helping others who might not be as far down the road of recovery.

Step three – Break the habit

Like most things, Imposter Syndrome is habitual thinking and in order to deal with it, we need new ways of looking at it:

Imposter Syndrome can be stifling. It can cause anxiety, stress and hold you back in your career and in your relationships. We all too often just accept how things are and don’t invest time in our own development or building of confidence.

Finding a coach, mentor or peer to talk through your false perceptions of self is really useful and will only ever bring a great new insight to how you see yourself.

After all the doubt and self-deprecating thoughts, I got into the swing of my presentation and, based on the applause and immediate feedback, it wasn’t too shabby… although I spent the next few hours wondering what didn’t land well and what I could’ve done better – and so the story goes on!