Most people have experienced feelings that they may not be qualified for a role, or fear that they may not be able to live up to expectations when required to stretch out of their comfort at work, especially when taking on a new role. Some people continue to feel the same, despite repeated external evidence of competence.
Imposter syndrome is something that has become a more common phrase, though it is still often only admitted under the strictest of confidence. We as humans tend to create an outer life, one which everybody knows, and an inner life where we may feel like someone completely different. At times the gap between the public and the private face can widen, leading to those feelings intensifying.
The term imposter syndrome, was coined in 1978 by Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne A. Imes, who were looking for a reason to why high achieving women often put their success down to luck rather than accomplishment. It is a state of being that effects both male and female achievers, and is marked by a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud” and an inability to internalize accomplishments.
I have experienced this at various times in my career, and I am not alone with this.
Millions of people worldwide have been plagued by self-doubt and unworthiness. Research has shown that an estimated 70% of the American public have experienced these feelings. High profile people who have expressed inadequacy with their work and hinted to the fear of being found out include Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou to name a few.
Here are some ways of dealing with it and some coping strategies if you feel this is something that is effecting you;
- Admit the feeling and make sense of it. This feeling is very normal and shows that you are growing. The fact that you are experiencing this means you are stretching outside of your comfort zone. We often feel alone and it is important to know that this state of being effects millions of people worldwide.
- Tell someone. By sharing how you feel with a mentor or friend can be very freeing. Often, we don’t want to admit we are experiencing this self-criticism, and it is this very secrecy of this feeling that gives it its power.
- Reframe the idea of failure. Occasionally being wrong is totally normal. Within every mistake is a lesson to be learnt. This quote from Nelson Mandela is very powerful “I never lose, I either win or learn.” Forgive yourself for any mistakes and look at how you can do it differently in the future.
- Accentuate the positives. Remember to celebrate your successes, and accept the praise when it comes. Think about your previous successes and how you have made a difference to the people around you. Reward yourself when you do well. Things that we can easily dismiss about ourselves can be held in high regard by others.
- Re-write your inner script. We have a default way of speaking to ourselves. Instead of “Wait till they find out I don’t know what I am doing” to something like “All people who start with something new feel unsure at the beginning. I am willing and able to learn”.
- Visualize success. Do what professional athletes do by seeing yourself delivering a brilliant presentation or calmly working through your work. Rather than visualizing disaster. Visualizing positive outcomes can also help reduce performance related stress.
- Keep doing it, even when you are scared. Don’t wait until you feel confident before you do something. Courage comes from taking risks and this courage will grow the more you overcome challenges.
The point of the worn-out phrase, fake it till you make it, still stands. Change your behaviour and the confidence will also start to change. See this as a journey, the you are in now is not the end. Re-visit where you are in 90 days and take note of all the achievements, big and small you have accomplished.
Achievement comes from going that extra mile, and by doing that even through the fear you can be an inspiration and a light to others around you.