What is imposter syndrome and how to combat it
There is a huge chance that you are amongst the 70% of people who have experienced at least once an episode of the Imposter Syndrome (IS). I did, in all my corporate jobs. Imposter Syndrome is a term that was first used in the 1970s by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance.
Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of exposing as a “fraud”. According to Wikipedia.
In simpler words, it means that someone believes they are not performing as well as everybody else thinks. They are critical of themselves, they worry about making mistakes and expecting that people who rate them really high find them.
No matter how many praise and compliments come their way, they can’t take that on board. They lack confidence and self-belief and the discrepancy between the external feedback and the internal belief system creates huge anxiety. It’s a gap, which is too huge to bridge.
The Imposter feels like a fraud, is sure they can’t live up to the high expectations and know that earlier or later, they will be discovered as the incapable and unprofessional performer they really are.
What is imposter syndrome and how to combat it? The vicious circle of Imposter Syndrome
The basis of Imposter Syndrome is a lack of confidence, which is rooted in a poor relationship with the self. The imposter or pretender is looking for external validation, but when that is given it has a negative impact. Instead of embracing it and using it to validate themselves, they use it to undermine themselves and their confidence even more.
What triggers Imposter Syndrome?
- Being raised in a family that highly values achievement – fueling the feeling of incompetence towards high expectations
- Receiving both praise and criticism for similar achievements – fueling confusing, because how can you do both at the same time? It clouds the judgement
- Entering a new role or new circumstances – no one might have voiced expectations, but change always has an element of fear for the not knowing, which can be translated in the need to perform exceptionally well
- Being around people who have high expectations – always fighting to fulfil those expectations
Emotions around Imposter Syndrome
The common emotions of the imposter are not supporting well-being and happiness, they are creating the ‘knot in the stomach’ collection of:
- Fear of failure
- Anxiety
- Self-doubt
- Perfectionism
Imposter Syndrome is the effect of underlying limiting beliefs and an unloving and unappreciative relationship with the self as a result of success.
Success can break you…. If you let that happen.
Success can build you…. If you choose so.
Find out if you suffer from Imposter Syndrome through this brief quiz.
Do you want to talk about how to combat your Imposter syndrome? Book a FREE coaching call by clicking here.
