I have a lot of questions about Imposter Syndrome. Why do so many people identify with it? What does that resonance mean for current and future work dynamics? How do we address it? Let’s start with some basics …
What Is Imposter Syndrome? An internal experience of phoniness.
To get a handle on Imposter Syndrome, I went back towards the beginning – to the 1978 paper by Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes that coined the phrase “Imposter Phenomenon.” They defined it as “[a]n internal experience of intellectual phoniness [where someone] believe[s] that they are not truly bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise.”
The paper noted that evidence of a person’s achievements, abilities or skills doesn’t change that belief. Instead, someone experiencing imposter syndrom actively negates objective evidence that they are responsible for success (“I was lucky”, “I got by this time”). Conversely, sufferers believe that failure or poor performance is their fault. Sufferers live in fear of being found out.
Here’s what stood out to me:
- Living in fear,
- Feelings of phoniness,
- (Most strongly) That evidence of capability makes no difference, and
- Presenting evidence of capability to Imposter Syndrome sufferers causes even stronger feelings of phoniness and fear.
It’s Not Lack of Confidence
A lack of confidence is uncertainty about abilities, decisions, performance — usually tied to a particular moment, task, or situation. Confidence can be built with proof that your work or skills led to success.
That’s an important distinction. After success, people who lack confidence think “I did it, and I can do it again.” In contrast, people suffering from Imposter Syndrome will think “I got away with it this time, and next time might be the time I’m found out.”
That Difference Matters
We can’t affect Imposter Syndrome by treating it as low self-confidence.
Acknowledging accomplishments, drawing connections between work done towards success, recounting goals reached, or seeing progress in building abilities can boost confidence. They won’t touch Imposter Syndrome. In fact, they can result in people doubling down on feelings of phoniness and fear of discovery.
How Do We Distinguish Between The Two?
Understanding whether we’re dealing with self-doubt or imposter syndrome requires some introspection. Here are some questions that can be helpful starting places to begin questioning whether imposter syndrome is a driver:
- What successes am I proud of?
- What language do I use to describe successes? Does the language I use acknowledge my role in reaching those goals?
- What language do I use to describe times when I didn’t meet goals? Does that language acknowledge factors that weren’t in my control? Do I have a plan to address those factors in the future? Does that plan reassure me that I can address those factors?
- When I think of the language I use, does it center on a situation where I feel unsure or on my individual traits?
- Do I feel that gaining experience, knowledge or skills can impact my success?
Takeaways:
- Imposter Syndrome is not the same as lack of confidence or self-doubt.
- Imposter Syndrome is centered in an internal feeling of phoniness.
- Low confidence involves uncertainty of abilities in a situation
- A key distinction between the two is that objective evidence of success can improve confidence but does not reassure someone suffering from Imposter Syndrome. Instead, it amplifies feelings of phoniness and fear of discovery.
What’s Next?
How do we use this knowledge to address Imposter Syndrome? In our next edition, I’ll begin a conversation about steps that individuals and organizations can take to impact Imposter Syndrome.