Ever felt like an imposter? You’re not alone! Understanding the impact of Imposter Syndrome on your life and work

“Don’t peek; don’t look behind the façade! If you do, you might just discover that I don’t belong here; that I do not fit neatly into the prescribed mould”.

If you spend a lot of time worrying that you don’t deserve to be in the position you are in and that it is only a matter of time before somebody catches you out, you may well be experiencing Imposter Syndrome. If so, you’re not alone. I spent about the first two thirds of my professional life waiting to be found out – it can be exhausting and can stop you from getting to where you want to be.

There are lots of very real structural barriers within our society that can prevent us or slow us down from achieving our goals but sometimes the thing that is getting in our way is us!

What is imposter syndrome?

“The persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills”

Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It was originally developed by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes who researched accomplished women working in academic settings and found that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.” The original research found that common factors contributing to imposter syndrome included coming from a working class background, first born, first in the family to achieve academic and professional success and no expectations or encouragement from school or family regarding achievement. I can tick all of those boxes personally.

However, since then, there has been more extensive research and the imposter phenomenon has been shown to exist across men and women and in all sectors of life.  I have coached well qualified, high achieving individuals who do not think they deserve to be where they are despite lots of evidence to the contrary. So many of us are just waiting to be found out and think we have just got where we are by being lucky.

“No matter what we've done, there comes a point where you think, 'How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?'” Tom Hanks, Actor

What impact can it have?

Feeling as if you are an imposter can have a debilitating impact on your life.  You can write yourself off from accessing opportunities before you’ve even started. In the past, I’ve missed out on roles I would have been well suited for and qualified for because  I didn’t think they were meant for people like me (a little clue there as to why I have given my business it’s name). I took myself out of the game before it had even started! 

Your inner critic can make you question your value in the workplace and can stop you from speaking up and giving your opinion in meetings or contributing fully to projects. This can be very frustrating when you then hear someone else say what you had planned to say and it gets received very well! A major consequence of not putting yourself forward and staying quiet means that others will not be aware of your true value and your potential contribution. Our colleagues and managers are not mind readers! 

But it can hold you back outside of work too. Perhaps it stops you taking that creative hobby one step further as you don’t think anyone will be interested in what you are doing. Maybe you think you look silly if you try something new so you don’t try missing out on the opportunity of making new friends or learning new skills.

So what can you do?

Often these thoughts are deeply ingrained in us often for many years. This means it is not a quick fix to reframe our thoughts but it is worth the effort. I’m sharing one small but effective strategy that has worked for me below as part of a imposter syndrome busting toolkit! Shout out here to Tracy Forsyth, a super talented Executive Coach who introduced me to this technique.

Understanding our inner saboteurs and developing inner champions

Experiencing self doubt is normal – left unexamined, self doubt can become a barrier. Understanding the source and function of your doubts is one way of managing them. Start to notice what you say to yourself when you are feeling fearful, insecure and afraid of being found out? It may feel as if your inner thoughts are protecting you from potential rejection, embarrassment or failure but this can also keep your presence small and quiet. If you wrap yourself up tightly in cotton wool, you risk becoming or staying stuck. 

Perhaps your inner thoughts are more critical than protective. Do you say things to yourself that you would never say to a friend or colleague? Ask yourself why this is and start to be kinder to yourself, imagining what you would say to a friend or colleague in the same situation with the same doubts. 

If you start to notice what types of thoughts you are having and the tone of them, you can start to understand whether they are well meaning or defeatist. When do they show up and what is the meaning of them? An example of how I challenge my inner voice when it asks ‘but what if you fail?’, my reply is ‘but what if it doesn’t...what if it goes really well”?

If those inner thoughts are your saboteurs, how can you channel your inner champions to challenge the negativity? Who are the people you admire and what values do they represent? This could be someone you know, someone in the public eye or a fictional character. One of my inner champions is fictional Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind. She had to display grit (a value I admire) to overcome multiple challenges  in the American Civil war to fight for what was important to her. When I have to face a tough challenge, I channel my inner Scarlett and imagine what she would do in that situation. 

Another of my champions is Brene Brown, a leadership thought leader, who is much more of a nurturing champion than Scarlett! When I am doubting a decision or path, I return to the work of Brene who writes about the strength there is in vulnerability and imperfection , the importance of recognising your strengths and of getting your resources and armour together to move forward. 

So this month, I’m inviting you to reflect…

·      How does imposter syndrome impact on your life (or of someone close to you)?

·      What does it prevent you from doing?

·      Who are your inner champions and how can you channel them? 

Look out for more tips on managing imposter syndrome in future newsletters. However, if you want to explore the impact of imposter syndrome on your life in more depth using 1-1 coaching then please get in touch for a free discovery call to see how coaching could support you to move towards the life you want to live. Contact me on flamingoplm2022@gmail.com