Why You May Feel Like an Imposter and Why You Shouldn't

Do you sometimes (or often) feel like you are not good enough? Do you have doubts about your own abilities and competence? Then you are likely prone to experiencing imposterism.

Imposter syndrome is characterized by having self-doubt about your abilities in your job, in your relationships, or in everyday activities. People with imposter syndrome can feel like a phony—like they just aren’t good enough—even if they've reached objectively high levels of success. This can lead to becoming highly self-critical, feeling anxiety, and experiencing stress and eventually burnout.

Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome

1. Feeling like you are not good enough.
2. Attributing your successes to external factors, such as luck.
3. Hyper-sensitivity to any kind of criticism, even when it is helpful and constructive.
4. Downplaying your abilities, and, as a result, not being willing to take advantage of opportunities.
5. A foreboding sense that someone will discover that you are a phony.

You Are Not Alone

Imposter syndrome can affect anyone, even highly accomplished individuals, including professionals such as doctors and lawyers. A Korn-Ferry survey found that majority of CEOs (more than 70%) admit that they sometimes feel imposter syndrome. Ronit Kark and colleagues, in a recent publication, suggest that imposterism is quite common among leaders who are in positions with high levels of responsibility, and that it can inhibit their performance.

Imposter syndrome can and does often have negative outcomes, including anxiety, self-doubt, fear, and stress. It can also lead to procrastination because one does not feel like they have the ability to get the job done. In addition, those feeling imposterism can become excessively perfectionistic, which can inhibit accomplishments at work.

Is It All Bad?

Not necessarily. Imposter syndrome can lead to some positive outcomes, such as increasing motivation (“I need to try to prove myself”), and being proactive by preparing more extensively when faced with challenging tasks (“I need to work harder than others to keep from failing”). One can also use imposter syndrome to engage in deep reflection, and to engage in continuous self-improvement. The key is to make these feelings of self-doubt work for you.

How to Combat Imposter Syndrome

• Develop a Growth Mindset. Use self-doubt as a motivator to constantly learn new things and improve the way that you do things.
• Be Self-Compassionate. Give yourself a break and focus on your positive characteristics. Work on stopping your self-blame
• Social Support Strategies. Turn to trusted others to give you social support and realistic appraisal of your positive characteristics and accomplishments. You can also rely on a mentor to help you. (This is one reason many CEOs have executive coaches: to help them combat imposter syndrome and use it as a positive motivator.)