What are the other people thinking of me? Was I a quota hire? I’m the first person of color/woman in the role. I must be a fraud…
Imposter syndrome feels worse than normal performance anxiety. It’s a joy killer that makes you think you don’t deserve to be in the room despite all the evidence to the contrary. Even if you have a wall full of credentials, you may still find yourself feeling like a phony.
Imposter syndrome is defined as the persistent inability to believe one’s success is deserved and has been achieved through skill and hard work. It is often accompanied with feelings of self-doubt, fear of success or failure and persistent self-sabotage.
Imposter syndrome is more common than you think. According to the Journal of Behavioral Science approximately 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their lifetime.
Based on a 2020 KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report, imposter syndrome can stem from a variety of factors, including personal, familial and societal experiences, stereotypes and labels, corporate culture and workplace dynamics. For high-achieving women, the pressure and perceptions that come with being the first or only woman in their role can exacerbate these feelings. So, too, can expectations of having to achieve perfection.
Social media can compound the problem when perception distorts reality and women leaders feel as if they don’t measure up to increasingly unrealistic standards.
In my first executive role, I was the youngest person to ever hold the position and I was in the minority as a Black woman. Back then, imposter syndrome wasn’t talked about like it is today but I was definitely experiencing it every time I gave my monthly presentation.
My sales results were exemplary compared to those of my peers and my presentations were far more buttoned up, but I still felt like I constantly had to prove I was worthy to be at the table. I even felt this after winning a national award in my role.
After learning about the things that exacerbate imposter syndrome, I now understand that my main trigger was an unsupportive boss. His actions towards me were lukewarm at best. Working for him fueled me to strive for even greater levels of success, but I’ve often wondered how different things could have been had he and the organization done more to empower their employees. I was clearly not the only woman experiencing imposter syndrome, but it felt difficult to talk about because we didn’t have the language to articulate our experience. Whenever the feelings arose, we chalked it up to the good ole boy dynamic.
Thankfully, today is a new day and we have the data and the shared language to support the impact of imposter syndrome on women executives.
So, how do you combat imposter syndrome? Consider my top 8 tools:
- Develop your network to include mentors and trusted advisors. These people will become your lifeline when you are doubting your abilities.
- Seek out positions where you will have a supportive boss. According to the KPMG study, having a supportive boss is the number one factor to combat imposter syndrome.
- Become part of a collaborative team. This helps to create a sense of belonging, which counters imposter syndrome.
- Become intentional about work-life balance. This should include vacations and community involvement that allows time for resting and recharging.
- Seek out organizations/teams that prioritize inclusion and diversity.
- Set realistic standards to avoid burnout and focus on your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
- Learn to recover faster from perceived failures and become more forgiving and gracious towards yourself.
- Find an experienced coach and figure out how to manage challenging situations and feel more self-worth.
You belong at the table, in the boardroom and on the call.
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