Impostor Syndrome Original article first appeared on Michael Page Australia
Do you feel the urge to say , “Oh, it was nothing” when you receive a compliment about a job well done? Do you really think that it was nothing and believe that anyone else could’ve done it better than you?
Impostor syndrome is when you constantly feel that what you do is not good enough. It is a psychological term describing a pattern of behaviour where you doubt your accomplishments, and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.
I come across this frequently as a Career Coach. My clients – both male and female – who have experienced a redundancy and are in between roles, find their self-confidence is at a low ebb.
I’ve found it doesn’t matter how powerful anyone is, they may still experience impostor syndrome.
Whether they are the managing director of a company, someone who has won many awards, delivered multiple presentations or secured great wins – regardless of what they’ve achieved, how much respect they command, or how much good work they’ve done, they may still wonder if they are good enough.
And, despite having adequate external evidence of accomplishments, they’ll remain convinced they don’t deserve the success they’ve achieved.
They may call their success lucky or just good timing, and dismiss it, believing other people are better, more intelligent or more competent than they are.
How to spot if you have Impostor Syndrome
- You are about to deliver a presentation, and you secretly think you’re about to be found out for how hopeless you really are.
- You finally get the promotion you’ve wanted at work, and your inner narrative tells you they must have been short on candidates, or that you didn’t really deserve the promotion. You’re convinced you won’t live up to expectations.
- You’re sitting in a big meeting and you just know that your manager will walk in any minute, tap you on the shoulder, and tell you that you really aren’t qualified for the job (even though you’re the most experienced person in the room).
Often people with impostor syndrome are perfectionists who have a huge fear of failure and constantly undermine their own achievements.
This can be debilitating, causing stress, anxiety, shame and low self-esteem…
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One of the best ways to overcome Impostor Syndrome is to build your self confidence with a powerful and genuine personal brand.
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