Defeating Imposter Syndrome

I’ll get straight to the point – I suffer from imposter syndrome. That is to say, I typically experience it when starting a new role or taking on a new assignment. I know that I’m not alone, research referenced by Forbes (2022) indicates 70% of the population suffer from it at some time or other. People in the spotlight have announced that they experience it, including Jacinda Ardern (2020), Neil Gaiman (2017), David Tennant (2020) and Michelle Obama (2018). Also, I’ve noticed that many of my coachees have shared that they suffer from it too, particularly when they become people leaders. There are indications that since the pandemic it’s on the rise among remote workers. So I think it’s fair to say that it’s quite common, but that doesn’t change the fact that it can be really challenging to live with.

Personality seems to be a key driver of imposter syndrome. If you’re the type of person who needs to constantly achieve, needs to be perfect every time, or needs to be better than everyone else, then you may well experience imposter syndrome.

Symptoms vary, I tend to become anxious, doubt my abilities and have major problems sleeping. All of which result in me over-working, aiming for perfection and being negative about myself. Others may feel incompetent, have low confidence levels or seek positive reinforcement. These symptoms could just be signs of general insecurity, but what makes it more likely to be imposter syndrome is if these symptoms occur regularly and constantly.

Dealing with it can be a challenge and there are lots of tips on the internet – just search ‘dealing with imposter syndrome’. For me, after much trial and error, I have three things that at the very least take the edge off it.

Firstly, I try to anticipate it. Almost every time I change roles or have a new assignment to work on the negative thoughts monster wakes up and I begin to get anxious and start losing sleep. If I can anticipate it, I start to ramp up my exercise (makes me tired) and mindfulness (makes me calm) and remind myself of the great feedback that clients and stakeholders have given me in the past.

Secondly, if I’ve been unable to anticipate it, I’ve learned to recognise it. If I’m regularly over-working, being a perfectionist or focussing on my short comings or failures then I tidy my workspace and get to work on my calendar. I prioritise my time to work, time to exercise and time for mindfulness. I block out time zones to complete each of these activities and stick to them.

Thirdly, I reflect often and highlight the positives. I take five minutes every day to reflect and in addition to considering the challenges of the day, I highlight what went well. This has taught me to appreciate and value that there is a positive to most things that we experience.

I’ve come to accept that like many others, from time to time I experience imposter syndrome. Rather than fight a natural personality trait I’ve developed ways to better live with it – if you experience it maybe you could too.

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Written by David Harding – Coach and Facilitator

References

BBC News (2018) Michelle Obama: ‘I still have imposter syndrome’ [online] available from <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46434147> [13 March 2023]

Forbes (2022) 9 Signs That You Have Imposter Syndrome[online] available from <https://www.forbes.com/sites/lucianapaulise/2022/09/16/9-signs-that-you-have-impostor-syndrome/> [13 March 2023]

The Guardian (2020) Jacinda Ardern: I try to turn self-doubt into ‘something more positive’ [online] available from <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/21/jacinda-ardern-i-try-to-turn-self-doubt-into-something-more-positive> [13 March 2023]

Tumblr (2017) Neil Gaiman [online] available from <https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/160603396711/hi-i-read-that-youve-dealt-with-with-impostor> [13 March 2023]

YouTube (2020) David Tennant Fights the Demon of Imposter Syndrome [online] available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sBA0RWPAbY> [13 March 2023]