By Carrie Chappell
“Am I Good Enough?”- On Tackling Your Imposter Syndrome
I have been pondering this month on the number of clients I have seen recently, for whom the concept of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ has come up, early on in our coaching interactions. A feeling of inadequacy despite evident success. According to Psychologists Joe Langford and Pauline Clance, who coined the phrase in their definitive book on the challenge, Imposter Syndrome describes those who “despite their objective successes, fail to internalise their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and even fear of being exposed as a fraud or imposter.”
The irony of Imposter Syndrome is that it occurs most frequently in successful, high achievers, particularly women and in my experience, the more senior the leader, the more acutely it can be felt.
Imposter Syndrome can most commonly be traced back to our childhood and the environment we were raised in. It is always a fascinating journey of self-discovery when leaders realise where the beliefs about themselves, which drive their Imposter Syndrome, first came from. Self-awareness is always the first powerful step in creating meaningful positive change.
You can recognise Imposter Syndrome in yourself if you have an inability to internalise accomplishments or to believe in your own competence, even though there is objective data to back it up. Also, if you experience Imposter Syndrome, you often believe that your success came about through chance, charm, connections, or luck and when you experience success, you feel relief that you ‘got through the challenge, task, or project, rather than feeling joy or a true sense of accomplishment.
If you experience Imposter Syndrome you are likely to be prone to traits of perfectionism, procrastination, persistent self-doubt, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. All of these can result in anxiety, insomnia and ultimately burn out, which is why it is so critical that leaders learn to keep it at bay.
The interesting argument that holds some truth, is that a small dose of Imposter Syndrome can be a good thing. Because it most often strikes when we are transitioning into a new role and stepping up in our careers, it is proof that we are developing and growing professionally and fulfilling our potential. It can drive us to be better. When others think something went well, you will think, ‘how can I improve?’ It comes with a desire to be the best version of yourself which is to be championed. However, it is when this striving for better, tips over into on-going self-sabotage, that Imposter Syndrome can hold us back and become not only debilitating, but a health hazard.
So, how can you as a leader begin to recognise and address our own version of Imposter Syndrome? There are many exercises we share with our clients here at The Preston Associates, but two key factors here are acknowledging your reality and adjusting your mindset.
Start by look at what your reality is. It is important to recognize that your success and achievements have come from your talents and hard work. It is helpful to spend some time putting pen to paper to remind yourself of all your achievements, successes, and the things you are proud of, both personally and professionally. The testimonials, awards, accolades, and strong working relationships are as important as the successful career moves, pay rises and promotions. Don’t overlook the challenges you were thrown into and the risks you took and overcame. With each talent and success, you list, think of what skills and strengths you demonstrated in accomplishing what you have. What are your strengths? What are you best at? What are you known for? Soak it all in and recognize that your value is real and that you have earned your status, position, and good reputation. Give yourself permission to be proud! You can start to make this a regular practice by reflecting on your day, your week, your month and capturing all the things that you did that led to success, big and small.
Part of the tension inherent in Imposter Syndrome is that your reality is likely opposite to what your internal dialogue is claiming. Our mindset and the negative internal chatter are often what holds us back and limits our potential. It is however possible to reverse our internal dialogue by reprogramming the voices in our head.
Focus on the behaviours and mindset that are helpful and supportive to you. Some of the behaviours you might have recalled when looking at your achievements could be things like ‘I worked hard’, ‘I was tenacious’, ‘I gave my best effort’, ‘I was persistent’ ‘I bounced back from setbacks’.
Create a supportive mantra for yourself and say it out loud every morning and night. Examples might be “It is all right for me to believe in my own intellectual abilities and strengths.”, “I worked hard to be where I am and I’m good at what I do.” “My value is real, and I have earned my status, position, and good reputation.” Pick one that really resonates and then say it to yourself daily, even if you don’t believe it. Eventually you will, because the consistent practice will help the positive thinking sink into your sub-conscious and will lead to the re-programming of neural pathways in your brain.
When Imposter Syndrome thoughts sneak in again, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself “What’s the reality of what I’m thinking right now?” and that simple but powerful question “What would I do now, if I knew I wouldn’t fail?”
