When I was a senior in high school, I drove my black 1984 Chevy C10 to school each morning. On most days, I’d roll into the parking lot to see my physics teacher, Mr. Herring, standing in my assigned spot. He was on “parking lot duty” which meant he was responsible for keeping the peace in the school parking lot or, more commonly, making sure students didn’t sit in their cars and listen to music before going into the building.
He and I would chat briefly on these days and one interaction stands out in my memory. I had joined a boxing academy that year. After discussing a recent bout, he said, “Well, just don’t make a career out of it. You’re too smart for that.” His comment caught me off-guard. I hadn’t considered myself smart. Sure, I had been an honor roll student most of my life and was in honors classes throughout high school, but did that mean I was smart? Surely not. I was just good at faking it. I was, in my mind, a talented impostor.
Impostor Syndrome, or Impostor Phenomenon as it’s called in the academic literature, refers to the feeling of being inadequate and a fraud despite a reputation for success at work or school. It’s the belief that others overestimate your competence.
The prevalence of Impostor Syndrome ranges greatly in the literature from 9% to 82% depending on the instrument used to measure it. Per one study, nearly 70% of people have entertained impostor thoughts at one point in their career. In a quick poll of my LinkedIn network, 83% of respondents endorsed currently having Impostor Syndrome.
This notion of being inadequate despite evidence to suggest otherwise seems to be most prevalent in high achievers. Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou stated, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.” Even Albert Einstein experienced it, stating “The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.”
It's Not Entirely a Bad Thing
There’s an upside to experiencing Impostor Syndrome. Impostors are more others-focused in their social interactions and have been rated by others as more interpersonally effective. That means, they have better social skills and are more socially aware than those who don't experience impostor thoughts. In one study, medical doctors who had more impostor thoughts were significantly better at handling sensitive interactions with patients. People who experience impostor thoughts are typically viewed as more humble and less likely to present as arrogant.
It's Not Entirely a Good Thing Either
However, every so-called impostor will tell you, it doesn’t feel good to feel inadequate. We all want to rise to the top of our groups. No one wants to feel less-than. Impostor thoughts lead to fear, anxiety, self-doubt, poor mood, and even makes us more prone to burnout. It’s exhausting to perform at such as high level with the underlying fear that, if you make a mistake, others will discover that you are a fraud.
What Causes Impostor Syndrome?
We all develop beliefs about ourselves and about the world as we navigate through life. These are commonly called core beliefs. Core beliefs have a large impact on our perceptions and behaviors. They can be positive (“I am likable”), neutral (“I am no more or less likable than the average person”), or negative (“I am unlikable”). If not challenged, these beliefs become our default interpretation of the events around us. For example, if someone holds the core belief, “I am inadequate,” they may experience confusion when they are promoted to a prestigious position. That confusion (also known as cognitive dissonance) must be explained. Some might view the promotion as evidence that they aren’t inadequate after all. Impostors, however, will explain the promotion as an error: “There’s no way I belong here. Someone must have made a mistake.”
How to Mitigate Impostor Thoughts
Step 1: Normalize it
As stated previously, 70% of people have experienced impostor thoughts at some point in their lives. Impostors are not alone. Most people, especially high achievers have felt like an impostor. Moreover, the fact that it’s more prevalent in high achievers is evidence, in itself, to discount its validity.
Step 2: Adopt a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset, as conceived by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, refers to the belief that talents can be developed rather than are innate gifts (known as a fixed mindset). Those who adopt a growth mindset tend to achieve more than those with a fixed mindset, because they worry less about how they appear to others but focus their efforts on developing their skills.
People with Impostor Syndrome, by definition, tend to think with a fixed mindset (“I am a fraud,” “I am not smart enough to be here”). The adoption of a growth mindset leaves no room for impostor thoughts.
Step 3: Challenge Your Assumptions
When a negative event inevitably occurs in the workplace, the immediate reaction of an impostor is to view it as confirmation of their inadequacy. Rather than accepting that assumption as fact, challenge yourself to consider all the evidence before coming to a conclusion. One event doesn’t define your worth. Although you may feel useless, foolish, or incompetent now, it doesn’t mean you are useless, foolish, or incompetent. Conclusions made without sufficient data are unfounded opinions.
Impostor Syndrome is feeling inadequate at work despite objective evidence that suggests otherwise. It’s an unfortunate phenomenon experienced by many high-achieving individuals. While externally, impostors are viewed more favorably by others, internally, feeling like an impostor can be an uncomfortable and even distressing experience. By changing our understanding of Impostor Syndrome, adopting a growth mindset, and challenging our automatic assumptions, we can gain a greater and more accurate appreciation for what we’ve accomplished while redirecting our attention to what matters – continued growth.
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