Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success
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70% of all people feel like fakes at some time
or another1
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 02
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y
When will they find out I don’t know what I’m doing? Imposter syndrome is real. Despite a mountain
of evidence that demonstrates we are skilled and
capable—positive work reviews, promotions,
awards, pats on the back—imposter syndrome leads
us to doubt our abilities, attribute our successes to
luck or chance, and make us feel it’s only a matter of
time before we’re discovered as frauds.
Imposter syndrome is common. Early research
on this topic estimated that 70 percent of people
feel like fakes at some point.1 First observed as a
phenomenon in high-achieving women, imposter
syndrome has since been identified in both women
and men. Subsequent research has revealed higher
incidence (or at least more admissions about feeling
this way) in younger workers, minorities, individuals
working in fields where they have previously been
excluded, and some medical professionals.
Imposter syndrome is not the same as a lack of self-confidence. This psychological pattern
has become a popular topic recently leading to
confusion on its meaning. It is not synonymous
with the lack of confidence or self-doubt caused
by genuine limitations. Instead, it’s an incorrect
assessment of ones’ abilities compared to peers.2
Imposter syndrome holds some people back.
Many people who fall prey to imposter syndrome
are successful at work, despite their self-perceived
fraudulence3, but they are unable to fully enjoy
their success. For some, constantly feeling like
intellectual frauds can hamper job performance,
job and career satisfaction, and career progress.
It can cause workaholism and perfectionism, and
it ultimately leads to job burnout. Still others react
with avoidance tactics by sparingly highlighting their
accomplishments, and ducking salary negotiations,
new assignments or promotional opportunities,
which keeps them from achieving to their potential.4
How can we confront imposter syndrome? While
many people achieve success despite authenticity
doubts, knowing how to overcome these feelings
could help them internalize accomplishments
and feel more satisfaction and less stress at work.
Organizations can and should help employees by
being aware of the signs of imposter syndrome
and the current business trends that are thought
to exacerbate it. Interventions can help employees
achieve fair pay and promotions, develop greater job
satisfaction and commitment, helping them to be
strong performers long term.5
Imposter syndrome leads us to doubt our abilities, attribute our successes to luck or chance, and make us feel it’s only a matter of time before we’re discovered as frauds.
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 03
Clarifying Imposter SyndromeImposter syndrome is a psychological pattern
that occurs when an individual has an inaccurate
self-perception. It is not a clinical diagnosis or
mental illness, but rather a temporary form of
intellectual self-doubt that is not based on objective
assessments. These individuals also make inaccurate
comparisons between themselves and their peers,
often overestimating their peers’ competence.
A recent rise in popularity of the term has made it
a business world buzz word, and it has mistakenly
become a synonym for a lack of confidence.
Reducing it to a confidence issue, makes it a
personal deficiency and places the burden of fixing
it wholly on the person suffering from it, rather than
considering the work environments (external factors)
that can foster it.2
It is also important to separate imposter syndrome
from feelings of self-doubt based on real knowledge
limitations. This type of doubt leads to objective
self-reflection, helping a person accurately identify
gaps in his or her expertise and develop a plan for
self-improvement.
Prevalence of imposter syndrome in high achievers and situational minorities
Many talented, accomplished people have been
affected by imposter syndrome—actors, well-known
business leaders, even Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayor.
“It’s experienced by people who always set high
standards for themselves but evaluate themselves
very harshly,” said Ilene Wasserman, PhD,
head executive coach for Wharton’s Advanced
Management Program.6
Clinical psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne
Imes first used the term 40 years ago, and the
phenomenon continues to attract interest. In
2011, writing about this psychological pattern in
the International Journal of Behavioral Science,
researchers Jaruwan Sukulku and James Alexander
found that 70 percent of executives report
experiencing it at least once in their careers, and
it was more pronounced among high-achieving
women. Further research revealed that anyone can
have imposter syndrome. The original findings of
higher pervasive self-doubt in women may simply
illustrate that more women than men are willing to
admit to and share these feelings.7
“It’s easy to look at each small success in isolation and discount it for various reasons. It’s much more difficult
to discount it when you acknowledge what your strengths are and how many successes you’ve had over time.
Make a list of your strengths and accomplishments and refer back to these when you’re questioning whether
you actually deserve to be there.”8
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 04
Research continues to attempt to identify causal
factors and types of people more prone to imposter
syndrome. Here a few:
1 Employees in a workplace where they are the minority9
Ethnic minorities, women or any individual working
in a climate where they’ve historically been excluded
are more likely to question their own abilities.
Examples include research labs, STEM careers,
corporate boardrooms and elected government
positions.3 Individuals in these situations tend to be
questioned about their competence and judgment
at a much higher rate, which contributes to their
self-doubt.10 They are also more likely to feel they
received their job based on affirmative action
quotas, personality or character, rather than skills
or experience.11 Today’s organizations are also
increasingly international, with more and more
C-suite leaders having been raised in other cultures.
Adjusting their style to fit in can contribute to their
feelings of fraudulence.
2 Younger workers and millennials
Many workers in their 20s and 30s have grown up with
the pressures of social comparison and overprotective
parenting—factors that can contribute to anxiety,
fear or insecurity about work or school performance.
Raised in an age of “everyone gets a trophy,” many
have little experience with failure.8 One recent study in
the United Kingdom found that one-third of millennial
workers reported feeling the effects of imposter
syndrome.6 A study of university librarians showed
that those in the first three years of their careers
reported higher imposter syndrome scores than their
more experienced colleagues.12
3 Helping professions including clinical nurse practitioners and physicians
Constantly addressing patient care issues that arise
outside one’s immediate bank of knowledge is thought
to lead to higher incidences in this profession.12
Additionally, the medical profession neither prepares
physicians to grapple with mistakes nor adequately
supports them to share their insecurities.13
One in threemillennial workers report feeling the effects of imposter syndrome.Source: Wharton Executive Education, 2018
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 05
Current business trends may exacerbate imposter syndrome
No one’s entirely sure what causes imposter
syndrome. Some evidence links its origins to
childhood experiences. But several external
(situational) factors are thought to contribute. Today’s
business environments and cultures top the list.
Workplace volatility—Today’s workplaces
continually change, and imposter syndrome
is shown to reduce an individual’s adaptability.5 Talent
is agile. There’s little job security. Employees change
bosses frequently. Tech-oriented workers—engineers,
programmers or other specialists—are often
promoted into management roles, which require an
entirely different set of skills. This volatility can spell
trouble for those struggling with imposter syndrome.
Workforce diversity and inclusion—
Workplaces are increasingly diverse, but
inclusion doesn’t necessarily keep pace. Hidden
barriers, biases and stereotypes hinder multicultural
professionals, women and various generations of
workers. To illustrate, more women than men are
graduating with bachelor’s degrees, but women
are questioned about competence and judgment
at a higher rate than men, triggering feelings of
imposter syndrome.10 Research in academia
shows that competent students of color or other
underrepresented identities sometimes question
the role of affirmative action in their admission,
contributing to self-doubt.
International nature of large organizations—Increasingly, today’s
corporations are international, and employees
may have been raised in cultures that emphasize
modesty or restraint, rather than the brasher
American business style.6
Work cultures that reward overconfidence—Venerating confidence
over competence has serious risks and can lead a
team, project or even company astray.2 One study
found that the odds of making a bad acquisition
were 65 percent higher for overconfident CEOs.14
Social media usage—“Surrounding
influences fuel imposter syndrome,” says
Sam Parr, founder and CEO of The Hustle. We can
easily compare ourselves to others, and when we see
someone getting awards or living the dream on
social media, we assume these things are legitimate
when they perhaps don’t tell the whole picture.15
Imposter Syndrome InterventionNot all self-doubt in the workplace is bad. And it isn’t
necessarily imposter syndrome.
Fleeting self-doubt can work to our advantage,
motivating and driving us forward to meet a new
challenge. A new employee, an employee thrown
into a new situation or someone promoted into
management without proper training would
naturally have doubts. Alleviating self-doubt in these
cases might be as simple as finding a way to help the
person become more competent.16
Self-doubt can also stem from skewed views of how
well peers are doing. This distortion may be based
on those individuals’ overconfidence or skewed
social media evidence.
It’s important to consider actual competence
before mistakenly attributing self-doubt to imposter
syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when a competent,
high achiever incorrectly assesses his or her abilities.
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 06
Ways to combat imposter syndrome
1. Acknowledge what you’re feeling.
Learning to recognize these feelings, rather
than engaging in them, is the first step in
learning to let go of self-doubt, suggests
psychologist Audrey Ervin.17
2. Spot evidence of your success. Meeting goals and doing a good job are
objective signs of your ability. Save the
evidence—the emails and messages
telling you how great you did—to use as
positive reinforcement when you need
them. “It’s easy to look at each small
success in isolation and discount it for
various reasons. It’s much more difficult
to discount it when you acknowledge
what your strengths are and how many
successes you’ve had over time.”8
3. Own your successes. Even if you had
outside help or a little luck, acknowledge
and celebrate your wins. When someone
compliments your work, don’t brush it
off as being in the right place at the right
time or as a lucky break. Instead, thank
them. Force yourself to linger on your
accomplishments, so you have a more
balanced perspective.
4. You’re not alone in feeling this way. Research done in the 1980s estimated that
70 percent of all people feel like fakes at
some time or another. Talking to or hearing
from others (such as a mentor or trusted
friend) who have felt this way can help.
5. Fake it ‘til you make it. Act with
confidence, even if you don’t feel it.
6. Tell your inner critic to be still. Stay
conscious of what you say to yourself.
And, avoid comparing yourself to others.
(This may mean avoiding the one-sided
perspectives of social media.)
7. Push yourself to act before you’re ready. If you struggle with procrastination
caused by self-doubt or the need to “have
all the facts,” give yourself time limits.
Flawless isn’t usually necessary, and there
will never be a perfect time.
8. Don’t take constructive criticism personally. There are always ways to
improve what we do. When you receive
feedback, try to reframe it as a way for you
to meet a goal of lifelong learning.
9. Ask for help. Not knowing how to do
something isn’t a sign of weakness.
10. Mentor someone else. It will boost
your feelings about how much you really
do know.
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 07
How organizations can lessen the effects of imposter syndrome
Companies also have an opportunity to help
mitigate imposter syndrome in their organizations,
which can lead to improvement in productivity and
employee confidence levels. For example, through
learning and development, managers are trained
to be able to identify who among their team has
developed imposter syndrome. These employees
put off a “never good enough vibe” that is typical
of this behavioral pattern.18 These individuals also
shrug off achievements and stop short of applying
for promotions or special projects. They may also
struggle with perfectionism or workaholism.
SIGNS OF EMPLOYEE IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Procrastination caused
by a perfectionist fear of
failure causing them to
struggle to start
Workaholism motivated by the
belief that they are not skilled
enough so must work harder
than others to measure up
Trouble delegating
because they need to do
things themselves to ensure
they’re done perfectly
Perfectionism causing
them to set unrealistically
high standards for
themselves and others
Not accepting help from
others because they feel
that going it alone helps
them prove their worth
Turning down promotions
or new assignments with
the excuse that they’re “not
ready yet”19
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 08
The corporate culture also must be set up to be a trusting workplace, and leaders should have relationships
with their employees that signal it’s OK to talk about self-doubt. There are several opportunities to encourage
these practices.
Workplace affinity groups—
Expect that individuals placed
in positions and situations
where they are a minority may
be prone to self-doubt. Groups
with shared interests and
experiences enable workers
to surround themselves with
people who can relate.20
Mentorship programs—
Mentors can serve as a
professional anchor for those
struggling with imposter
syndrome. By sharing
experiences and advice,
mentors can help protégés
work through feelings of
self-doubt and understand
they’re not alone.
Trained managers—When
employees have a trusting
relationship with their manager,
they feel more comfortable
sharing self-doubt. Managers can
then provide frequent positive
feedback.15 They can also engage
with the self-doubt, letting
employees know that fears and
uncertainty are normal.4
THEORETICAL MODEL OF LEADERSHIP IMPOSTER PHENOMENON
High achievement Fear of failure
Lack of confidence
Perfectionism
Imposter syndrome Indecisiveness
Risk aversion
Procrastination
Source: Emerging Leadership Journeys, Vol. 11, Issue 1
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 09
Organizations can also help employees build
knowledge and understand the value of their jobs. “The
more knowledgeable workers become, the less likely
they are to have invisible holes in their confidence.”21
Knowledge of the job market can help employees feel
more marketable, enabling them to feel satisfied and
committed to their organizations long term.5
When employees are high achievers but hesitant
about their career path, a little encouragement can
go a long way. Keep an eye on workers’ trajectories.
If your high-performing employees aren’t asking
for raises or promotions, don’t assume they are
satisfied. Use real metrics of job performance to
assess employees when determining salaries and
opportunities for promotions.22
However, managers must be cautious in venerating
confidence over competence. If your workplace
values creativity and innovation, it must also value
uncertainty and not knowing.18 Overconfidence
has downsides which can lead a team, project or
even company astray. Instead of blindly urging for
more confidence, make room for people to voice,
acknowledge and heed doubt.2
“The more knowledgeable workers become, the less likely they are to have invisible holes in their confidence.”
When high-achieving individuals feel intense
intellectual or professional fraudulence, they are
experiencing imposter syndrome. These feelings can
become a barrier to career development, affecting
productivity, job satisfaction and self-confidence.
They can also have an economic impact for the
individual, keeping them from negotiating salaries or
striving for promotions.
Personal and organizational interventions, as
well as learning and development and mentoring
programs, can help employees feel more satisfied
and committed—leading to better performance
long term.5
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 10
About the AuthorMichele Markey is Vice President of Training Operations for SkillPath. She leads hundreds
of facilitators who provide high-quality training focused on leadership, teamwork,
productivity, communication and compliance.
Michele is recognized as a thought leader in the areas of entrepreneurship and talent
development. She has authored several articles and columns on these topics. In
addition, she delivers presentations and training on learning and development, change
management, strategic planning, process improvement/redesign and leadership.
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To learn more about this topic or other workplace challenges, download additional free resources at skillpath.com/resources.
About SkillPathA leader in learning and development since 1989, SkillPath provides professionals worldwide with strategic and innovative training solutions.
Our mission is to provide the highest-quality
training for companies and businesspeople around
the world, so they can benefit personally and
professionally from the experience.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, our revenue
funds scholarships for students at Graceland
University. We have a long history of partnering
with programs that develop individuals’ leadership
and innovation skills, and our mission aligns with
companies that share a goal to invest in mentoring
and scholarship opportunities for students and
young professionals.
Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 11
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Imposter Syndrome: Flawed Self-perception Limits Career Success 12
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