this week is all about imposter syndrome…
Entrepreneurs are believed to be particularly susceptible to Imposter Syndrome. Entrepreneurs are usually high achievers and perfectionists, traits that unfortunately also often lead to Imposter Syndrome. The very things that make you an entrepreneur can also make you feel like you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur and the more successful you become as an entrepreneur, the worse your Imposter Syndrome can get.
What Is Imposter Syndrome?
Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds, and do not deserve all they have achieved.
Imposter Syndrome can affect anyone regardless of age, experience or education. Imposter Syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony, you constantly feel like you are going to be found out as a fraud. Like you don’t belong where you are, and you only got there through luck.
The term was first used by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the 1970s. When the concept of Imposter Syndrome was introduced, it was originally thought to apply mostly to high-achieving women. Since then, it has been recognized as more widely experienced.
Characteristics of Imposter Syndrome
Some of the common signs of imposter syndrome include:
Self-doubt
An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
Attributing your success to external factors
Berating your performance
Fear that you won't live up to expectations
Overachieving
Sabotaging your own success
Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short
Imposter Syndrome is not uncommon; it is estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one episode in their lifetime.
Imposter Syndrome can for some fuel motivation to achieve, but this usually coincides with feelings of constant anxiety, over preparing or working harder than necessary so no-one finds out you are a fraud.
One of the difficulties with Imposter Syndrome is that the experience of doing well often does nothing to change your beliefs, the more you accomplish the more you feel like a fraud. Your core beliefs about yourself are so strong that they don’t change.
If you think you might have imposter syndrome, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you agonize over even the smallest mistakes or flaws in your work?
Do you attribute your success to luck or outside factors?
Are you very sensitive to even constructive criticism?
Do you feel like you will inevitably be found out as a phony?
Do you downplay your own expertise, even in areas where you are genuinely more skilled than others?
Do you have trouble asking for help?
Do you procrastinate due to your own high standards?
Types of Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome can appear in a number of different ways. A few different types of imposter syndrome that have been identified are:3
The perfectionist: Perfectionists are never satisfied and always feel that their work could be better. Rather than focus on their strengths, they tend to fixate on any flaws or mistakes. This often leads to a great deal of self-pressure and high amounts of anxiety.
The superhero: Because these individuals feel inadequate, they feel compelled to push themselves to work as hard as possible.
The expert: These individuals are always trying to learn more and are never satisfied with their level of understanding. Even though they are often highly skilled, they underrate their own expertise.
The natural genius: These individuals set excessively lofty goals for themselves, and then feel crushed when they don't succeed on their first try.
The soloist: These people tend to be very individualistic and prefer to work alone. Self-worth often stems from their productivity, so they often reject offers of assistance. They tend to see asking for help as a sign of weakness or incompetence.
TIPS TO OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Remember moments of doubt are normal - especially when you try new things. Just don’t let your doubt control your actions and be something you obsess over.
Acknowledge your doubts and thoughts and put them in perspective - try to observe your thoughts rather than engage in them
Question if your doubts and thoughts are helping or hindering you - try to practice letting go of unhelpful thoughts.
Reframe your thoughts - try to reframe your thoughts and teach yourself to think like a non-imposter
Have realistic expectations - focus on progress not-perfection. Remember everyone has to start somewhere and the more you practice a skill or technique the better you will get at it
Reward yourself for taking action - better done than perfect. Focus on doing things reasonably well, rather than striving for perfection and reward yourself for taking action.
Don’t compare yourself to others - everyone has their own challenges, strengths and weaknesses. Focus instead on listening and learning from others
Moderate your use of social media - overuse of social media may make you feel inferior. Trying to keep up with an image of yourself that doesn’t match who you really are, or exposing yourself to people you feel are achieving more.
Share your feelings with truster friends, family or mentors - people with more experience can reassure you that what you’re feeling is normal. Knowing others have been in your position can make it seem less scary.
Separate feelings from fact - just because you feel stupid doesnt mean you are
Acknowledge and recognise when you should feel fraudulent - a sense of belonging fosters confidence, if you are the only one in a situation who is different it's only natural to feel like you don’t fit in and there can be added pressure to represent your entire group and deal with social stereotypes about competence and intelligence.
Celebrate your perfectionist tendencies - it means you care about your work. Just try and work out when it matters and when you need to let things go to better use your energy.
Learn to deal with failure and mistakes - use them as a learning tool and move on
Learn to ask for help - recognise you can't do or know everything yourself and when you should ask for help.
Dispute negative thoughts - increasing positivity changes how we view ourselves and promotes self-confidence
Adopt a growth mindset - actively look for opportunities for learning and growth. We are less likely to feel like an imposter when we consider ourselves to be a work in progress rather than a finished article.
Track and measure success - we tend to be much better at remembering what went wrong rather than what went well
Think about your body language - assertive body language is linked to both assertiveness and low anxiety. Use powerful body language, stand up straight, keep your chin up and take up space
Visualise your success - spend some time picturing yourself being successful in whatever you do
Fake it ‘til you make it - learn to consider winging it as a skill. Don’t wait until you feel confident to start putting yourself out there. Courage comes from taking risks.
Focus on helping others - try to help others in the same situation as yourself, as you practice your skills you will build confidence in yourself
Don’t let it hold you back - if you are feeling like an Imposter it means you are having some success. Try and appreciate that success, be grateful and keep moving forward no matter how small the steps you are taking. Remember small changes to how you think, speak, stand and behave over time can significantly improve your confidence and degree of self-believe.
The only way to stop feeling like an impostor is to stop thinking like an impostor. This exercise will attempt to give you some tools to change the way you think about yourself.
week 22 book
Our book recommendation this week is The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young
While the impostor syndrome is not unique to women, women are more apt to agonize over tiny mistakes, see even constructive criticism as evidence of their shortcomings, and chalk up their accomplishments to luck rather than skill. They often unconsciously overcompensate with crippling perfectionism, overpreparation, maintaining a lower profile, withholding their talents and opinions, or never finishing important projects.
An internationally known speaker, Valerie Young has devoted her career to understanding women's most deeply held beliefs about themselves and their success. In her decades of in-the-trenches research, she has uncovered the often surprising reasons why so many accomplished women experience this crushing self-doubt.
In The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, Young gives these women the solution they have been seeking. Combining insightful analysis with effective advice and anecdotes, she explains what the impostor syndrome is, why fraud fears are more common in women, and how you can recognize the way it manifests in your life.
week 22 podcast
This week’s podcast is a fascinating BBC podcast episode on Imposter Syndrome presented by Afua Hirsch, explores what it’s like to feel like an imposter and why it affects so many of us.