Join my our community. Send me a message: +1-877-BRAVE11
Rethinking Imposter Syndrome
Core Messages
The Need
Impostor syndrome isn’t just an “interesting self-help topic.” It’s a bottom line issue. Impostor-related thoughts and feelings lead to unproductive behaviors which are costly to individuals and their organization. That’s why if you lead, manage, mentor, consult to, or train others, you need to understand impostor syndrome.
Join the Club
A 2017 study of UK executives found 80 percent of CEOs and 81 percent of managing directors sometimes feel “out of their depth” and that they’re struggling with their role. They’re not alone. An estimated 70 percent of achievers —men and women — have experienced impostor syndrome. Discovering a name for these all too common feelings is the first step.
Consider the Source
Rethinking impostor syndrome requires less psychologizing and more contextualizing. When we focus solely on the role family messages and expectations play in fostering impostor syndrome, we miss the ways in which situational, career, and organizational factors can also fuel self-doubt. Seeing our individual experience in a broader context helps normalize and mitigate it.
Diversity & Inclusion
A sense of belonging fosters confidence. Conversely, the fewer people who look (or perhaps sound) like us — the less confident we may feel. People who also belong to a group for whom there are stereotypes about competence, are especially susceptible to impostor syndrome.
Stereotypes matter because the fear of confirming a negative stereotype — whether related to gender, race, class background, age, language, or disability — has been found to cause stress which in turn negatively impacts performance.
