fbpx

Imposter Syndrome Demystified

Imposter Syndrome Demystified: Unlock Your True Potential

A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Self-Doubt

Ever felt like a fraud despite your accomplishments?

You’re not alone. Imposter Syndrome affects millions, including some of the most successful people. Feelings of not belonging or not being worthy are among the most common situations I see in my practice. So, I have produced this series to explore Imposter syndrome and offer a box of personal development tools.

This page is the first in a series of ten. It was written for those striving to overcome self-doubt and achieve their full potential. To get the series started, this part, will consider:

What is imposter Syndrome?

Why does it arise?

How can we recognise it: in others and in ourselves?

 

So, What is Imposter Syndrome?

Dr Pauline Clance (See the third article in this series), along with her colleague Dr. Suzanne Imes, first identified and defined Imposter Syndrome in 1978. Their ground-breaking work emerged from their research at Georgia State University. They noticed that many high-achieving women, despite their extensive accomplishments, felt an internalised fear of being exposed as frauds. These women believed that their success was not due to their abilities but rather to luck, timing, or other external factors. They observed a recurring pattern among their female clients and students. Despite objective evidence of their competence, they were unable to internalise their success. They often felt they were deceiving others about their capabilities. And they feared being “found out” as impostors. This led to their initial definition:

An internal experience of intellectual phoniness that was prevalent among high-achieving women characterised by chronic self-doubt, the inability to accept and internalise success, and a tendency to attribute achievements to external factors like luck or effort rather than inherent ability.

The key issue is the incongruity between the individuals’ perception of their competence and worthiness versus that an objective external observer.

Imposter Syndrome Demystified

Recognising Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, internalised fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing Imposter Syndrome remain convinced that they do not deserve their success or accolades. They may attribute their achievements to luck, timing, or deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and capable than they believe themselves to be. This can lead to significant stress, anxiety, and a reluctance to take on new challenges or opportunities.

Imposter Syndrome: Five Characteristic behaviours

1.Cognitive Distortion: Imposter Syndrome represents a cognitive distortion where individuals undervalue their skills and accomplishments, which reinforces the belief that they are not as capable as others perceive them to be.

2. Self-Sabotage: this Limiting Belief can lead to behaviours such as avoiding new opportunities, under-preparing, or over-preparing for tasks, and rejecting praise or positive feedback. These actions reinforce the belief that one is not competent, creating a vicious cycle.

3. Fear of Exposure: can prevent individuals from stepping out of their comfort zones, pursuing ambitious goals, or taking risks that could lead to personal and professional growth.

4.  Internal Conflict: where individuals feel disconnected from their own achievements. This dissonance can hinder their ability to fully embrace their successes and leverage them for further development.

5. Focus on Weaknesses: individuals focus on their perceived weaknesses and mistakes rather than their strengths and successes. This negative focus perpetuates the belief that they are not good enough.

Why does Imposter syndrome arise?

Here are the five most common reasons for someone experiencing Imposter Syndrome:

1. Perfectionism

• High Standards: setting unrealistically high standards and being overly critical of their performance. They fear that any mistake will expose them as incompetent, reinforcing imposter feelings.
• Fear of Failure: the fear of not meeting those high standards can lead to feelings of inadequacy and the belief that they are not truly competent.

2. Comparison with Others

• Social Comparison: frequently comparing oneself to others, especially those who are highly successful, can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy.
• Highlighting Differences: focusing on perceived gaps between oneself and others’ achievements can lead to the belief that one is less capable or deserving. Individuals from marginalised or minority groups often experience Imposter Syndrome due to systemic biases and discrimination. The pressure to overcome stereotypes and succeed in environments where they are underrepresented can lead to heightened self-doubt.
• Women are particularly susceptible to Imposter Syndrome due to societal gender stereotypes that undermine their capabilities. Despite progress in gender equality, many women still face implicit biases and expectations that contribute to self-doubt. The Harvard Business Review highlights that women, especially in male-dominated fields, are more likely to experience Imposter Syndrome, as they often feel the need to prove themselves continually.

3. Family and Upbringing

• Parental Expectations: growing up with parents or caregivers who had high expectations or were overly critical can instil a sense of never being good enough. Article 5: Imposter Syndrome as a Limiting Belief’ and Article 8 ‘Imposter Syndrome as an Adaptive Survival Style’ unpack this in detail.
• Parenting styles, family dynamics, and early educational environments significantly shape a child’s self-perception and confidence. When praise is conditional or criticism is frequent, children may develop a belief that their worth is tied to their achievements, fostering perfectionistic tendencies and fear of failure. Article 8 in this series ‘Imposter Syndrome as an Adaptive Survival Style’ unpacks this.
• Labels and Roles: being labelled as “the smart one” or “the talented one” in the family can create pressure to constantly prove oneself, leading to self-doubt and a fixed mindset. Dr Carol Dweck is the go-to expert in the fixed / growth mindset field.

 

4. Work Environment and Culture

• Competitive Environment: working in a highly competitive or high-pressure environment can magnify – and sometimes exploit – feelings of not measuring up colleagues or the organisations’ expectations.
• Lack of Support: a lack of mentorship, recognition, and support can contribute to feelings of isolation and self-doubt.
• Societal and cultural expectations can also contribute to the development of Imposter Syndrome. These factors often intersect with gender, race, and socioeconomic status.

 

5. Personality Traits

• High Achievers: individuals who are naturally high achievers or overachievers often set exceedingly high expectations for themselves and feel inadequate when they fall short.
• Insecurity and Anxiety: traits such as general anxiety and insecurity can predispose individuals to feeling like impostors.
• Low self-esteem: a common precursor to Imposter Syndrome. Individuals with low self-esteem may struggle to internalise their accomplishments and are more likely to attribute success to external factors such as luck.

Understanding these common reasons – and recognising those most relevant to you – can help in addressing the root causes of Imposter Syndrome and developing strategies to overcome it.

How to recognise Imposter Syndrome

Observing Imposter Syndrome in ourselves and colleagues can be subtle, but there are several tell-tale signs that might indicate someone is experiencing these feelings. Here are the top ten signs:

1. Downplaying Achievements: frequently minimising or dismissing their own accomplishments, attributing success to external factors like luck or help from others rather than their own abilities.

2. Perfectionism: setting excessively high standards for themselves and being overly critical of their own performance, often focusing on minor mistakes rather than successes.

3. Fear of Failure: intense fear of making mistakes or being exposed as a fraud, leading to excessive anxiety and stress about tasks and responsibilities.

4. Reluctance to Seek New Opportunities: avoiding new challenges, promotions, or opportunities due to fear of not being able to meet expectations or fears of being exposed as incompetent.

5. Overworking: working excessively hard and over-preparing to cover up feelings of inadequacy, often leading to burnout.

 

And there’s more

6. Reluctance to Ask for Help: hesitating to seek assistance or advice from colleagues due to fear of being perceived as incompetent.

7. Comparing Themselves to Others: constantly comparing themselves to colleagues and feeling inferior, despite objective evidence of their own competence and success.

8. Difficulty Accepting Compliments: struggling to accept praise or compliments, often dismissing, or deflecting them.

9. Imposter Feelings Despite Success: feeling like a fraud despite objective evidence of success and positive feedback, often believing they have fooled others into thinking they are competent.

10. Self-Doubt: persistent self-doubt and questioning their own abilities, often believing they do not deserve their success or position.

So what now?

These signs can help you identify if you or a colleague might be experiencing Imposter Syndrome. Recognising these behaviours can be the first step in finding and offering support to access resources to overcome these feelings.

Continue reading the Imposter Syndrome series to explore Imposter Syndrome in depth and build your own toolbox to sustain your well-being for the long term. Coming next in the series:

• 2 -The Challenges of Imposter Syndrome

• 3 – Measuring and assessing Imposter Syndrome

• 4 – Imposter Syndrome or Competence?

• 5 – Imposter Syndrome as a Limiting Belief

• 6 – Self-Help Strategies for Imposter Syndrome

• 7 – 20 Solution Focused questions to ask yourself

• 8 – Imposter Syndrome as an Adaptive Survival Style

• 9 – Applying the model of neurological levels to Imposter Syndrome

• 10 – Imposter Syndrome in the Workplace

Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

Perma Hypnotherapy
Average rating:  
 0 reviews