Imposter Syndrome: Why does it happen & what to do about it?

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome is an internal experience characterized by a set of beliefs and thoughts which stop people from assimilating their achievements, praise and success, despite having evidence to the contrary. They tend to minimize and undermine their own success.

This term Imposter Phenomenon, now usually called imposter syndrome (IS) – was coined in the late 1970s by clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes when they observed that high achievers were unable to internalize, accept their success, often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.

Though imposter syndrome has been mainly associated with women, men struggle with it too. A recent study shows that while women self-reported more imposter feelings, men experienced IS as stress when getting negative feedback and when told their results would be shared with the professor. This suggests that men do worse when confronted with performance cues than women. Men experienced greater anxiety after receiving negative feedback than women with imposter feelings, and exhibited less effort and poorer performance on a task when held accountable to a higher authority.

What are the symptoms of Imposter Syndrome?

The core features of IS are the following beliefs and feelings:

• Others have an overinflated view of you and your capabilities. 
• You’ll inevitably let everybody down.
• Your ability to do something negates it’s value.
• You experience catastrophic thinking related to consequences of any mistake (i.e. I will be fired from my job or not get that promotion since I came to a meeting five minutes late).

You feel:

• Persistent fear about being found out.
• Anxiety about success as you think it’s due to luck.

It is important to note that each person experiences imposter syndrome differently and with varying intensity.

The different types of Imposter Syndrome

Through several years of research Valerie Young found 5 competence (internal rules that people with imposter phenomenon follow) types:

1. The perfectionist
   They always look for things to go “perfectly”. Their main concern is “how” something is done. A  slight error or defect is enough to classify it as a failure and it leads to feelings of shame and guilt.
2. The expert
   Experts seek to know everything. Their main concern is about “what” and “how much” they know or can do. In the face of even the slightest lack of knowledge about something they feel like a failure.
3. The soloist
   They need to do things alone without help from anyone. Their main concern is “who” completes the work. If someone helps them, they interpret it as a sign of their weakness and failure.
4. The natural genius
   They aim to achieve their goals quickly and effortlessly. They begin to doubt themselves and feel very ashamed when things start to get difficult, they can’t achieve it in their first try.
5. The Super Man / The Super Woman
   Their success is based on how many different roles they can play. They need to be a good father/mother, son, partner, boss, brother, and/or friend, among others. They always work longer and do not take days off. If they can’t play any of the many roles perfectly, they feel like a complete fraud.

Why does it happen? Where does the Imposter Syndrome come from?

There are various reasons why we experience the syndrome. 

• Transition or change
  Imposter syndrome can be triggered or exacerbated during times of transition or change. A new job, a new role or a change in your non-work life such as becoming a parent can trigger or increase these feelings. All these events push you out of your comfort zone. 

• Traditional gender norms
  Gender norms affect men and women. There are fewer women than men holding senior positions. Despite the progress being made in representation, a woman’s success in career is compared with the impact on her family, which doesn’t happen to men. These types of conflicting messages hamper women from owning their success. The pressure society places on men to demonstrate high productivity and presence which places enormous pressure and expectations. 

• Intersectionality and systemic bias
  In recent years there has been increasing focus on the impact of intersectional factors on the experience of imposter syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome: Do I have it?

If you are wondering whether you suffer from IS, we invite you to consider the following questions:

• Do I feel that the opportunities I’ve had so far are due to luck?
• When I have new challenges, do I doubt my ability to meet them?
• Am I unmotivated about new opportunities?
• Do I think things that have gone well in the past are going to go wrong now?

• Do I worry that people will find out that you’re a fraud?
• Do I compare myself to other people?
• Am I not satisfied with the things I do?
• Do I think that I don’t deserve the success that I’ve had?

How to deal with the Imposter Syndrome?

Please note: What we are sharing here does not replace formal support with a professional. If you are struggling with debilitating feelings of feeling like an imposter we recommend you seek professional help.

Question and reframe your thoughts

When you feel like an imposter ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this thought really true? 
• Is what I am feeling related to a specific situation? Why? 
• How does this thought help or hinder me?
• Is there an alternate way to look at the situation?

Asking ourselves these questions helps us reframe our thoughts, have a truer image of ourselves, and strengthen our self-esteem.