Impostor syndrome is the voice in your head that overlooks, discounts and discredits your accomplishments.

Jerry Colonna, author of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up

We have written about the Imposter Syndrome before, but it may have become even more prevalent in the business community. Just last week, Entrepreneur magazine published interviews with business leaders in its article, 10 Successful Leaders Share Their Struggles with Imposter Syndrome and How to Overcome It (view the article). Moreover, the problem is not confined to the top of the corporate pyramid as more than half of the employees at Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google who responded to a survey in 2018 reported that they sometimes feel they don’t deserve their job despite their accomplishments. ¹

Finally, research from the International Journal of Behavioral Science indicates that 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at one point in their lives (view the article). It is time to take another look at the Imposter Syndrome and to consider ways that businesspeople can deal effectively with feelings of inadequacy.

What is the Imposter Syndrome?

Back in 1978, two American psychologists, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, first labeled the impostor syndrome, which they described as a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.” The term refers to individuals who “are highly motivated to achieve,” but they also “live in fear of being ‘found out’ or exposed as frauds.” (view the article)

In his article, Nobody Knows What The Hell They Are Doing, Oliver Burkeman states that, “The truth, deep down, is that we all feel as though we’re just winging it.” He points to the late Maya Angelou, renowned as a novelist, poet, and memoirist, who said that “I have written 11 books,” “but each time, I think ‘Uh-oh. They’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.’” Burkeman praises Angelou’s remarkable talent, but notes that she was equally remarkable in being willing to admit that she didn’t usually feel that way (view the article).

Even one of the world’s greatest thinkers, Albert Einstein, suffered from feelings that he did not measure up. He referred to himself as a fraud in stating that”the exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindle to have been struck by it.” (view the article)

Surmounting the Imposter Syndrome

Recognizing the symptoms of the Imposter Syndrome is not difficult, but there is no quick fix to overcome feelings of anxiety or depression and the negative sense that someone is not good enough to succeed. The syndrome really describes an accumulation of insecurities, which is a trap waiting for high achievers (view the article).

When these feelings of inadequacy begin, however, there are steps that will help to overcome crippling doubts and move forward in a positive way.

Be Open to Getting Help From Others

Perhaps the most important advice for someone dealing with the imposter syndrome is to resist the temptation to power through it alone. There are many resources available to help join in a united effort to overcome these feelings, which include business coaches, individual peers outside the business, mentors within the company, peer groups (such as EO and Vistage) and psychologists who focus on work with business professionals.

Jenn Lofgren, a member of the Forbes Coaches Council puts it this way:

Remember that you are not the only person who feels this way. There is nothing like talking to someone else about your feelings of self-doubt, and the best way to get comfortable with asking for help is to start, even if that means starting slow at first. Talk to peers, mentors and coaches. Ask your mentors and peers about times they’ve felt in over their heads and experienced similar feelings of self-doubt. (view the article)

Lauren Romansky, VP of HR at Gartner, comments that individuals “need to take the initiative to place themselves in supportive environments. Mentorship is important. If you have somebody who’s willing to step in and give you those pep talks as well as actually build your competencies and support your decisions, those relationships are worth their weight in gold.”

For someone experiencing self-doubt, getting advice, support and encouragement will provide valuable guidance, helpful insights and renewed enthusiasm in facing the daunting and sometimes overwhelming challenges that arise in business.

Be Real In Admitting Lack of Knowledge

For company leaders, especially those who are newly appointed to their position, the Imposter Syndrome may be especially acute if they are plagued with doubt because they don’t know everything and are fearful they will be perceived as a fraud due to their lack of knowledge.

Veeral Rathod, co-founder of men’s custom clothier J. Hilburn, had doubts about his ability to succeed based on his unfamiliarity with the product. “I was a first-time entrepreneur and it was my first time in apparel,” said Rathod. His approach was to counteract rather than succumb to his self doubts, first by acknowledging that as a leader in a new industry he needed to rely on others’ experience. Rathod also worked to build trust with his team by conveying how he values their input, and learned that not knowing everything doesn’t mean he’s unqualified to lead. “You need to show an understanding that you’re a part of a team and your role is to think ahead and rely on the expertise of the team you have,” he said.

Business consultant Colonna says that”a leader’s job isn’t to have all the answers but to create the conditions for really, really talented people to find them. It’s to ask ‘What resources do you need to succeed?’ And then see if you can get them.” (view the article)

A leader willing to show that he or she does not have all the answers is both open and vulnerable. In the past, these traits might have been seen as weaknesses that would undermine leadership, but current research proves that the opposite is true. Augusto Giacoman, a Director with PwC advises companies on people and organizational issues. He puts it this way:

Leaders do not have to be perfect in order to be successful. Quite the opposite. Admitting mistakes, being open and honest, and accepting foibles and flaws yields far more effective results than projecting an untouchable facade. Tough leaders may inspire through fear or intimidation. Vulnerable leaders inspire with authenticity and humanity. And it’s the latter that is more likely to yield better results. (view the article)

Be Willing to Learn and to Grow

Even the negative feelings of Imposter Syndrome can provide some benefit. British clinical psychologist Jessamy Hibberd points out, “Self-doubt promotes self-improvement and often comes with conscientiousness, high standards, and a strong work ethic. The person who knows it all doesn’t see that need and misses out. Uncertainty—another part of self-doubt—means that you acknowledge that you still have things to learn. This drives you to grow and change, which is hugely important for maintaining good mental health and improving self-esteem (view the article).

One executive coach, Bill Carmody, refers to Imposter Syndrome as a gift that should be seen as something that can provide important guidance. In an article in Forbes, Carmody notes that experiencing this syndrome will keep a business leader humble, and someone who questions his or her value is not likely to be a narcissist or an egomaniac. He also comments that the syndrome can lead to personal growth.

“Before you can grow into something, you first must be aware of your own weaknesses. That awareness can help you avoid blind spots as you look to build out your action plans. While the fear itself has little to no value, when imposter syndrome shows up, it’s best to acknowledge it and see it for what it is: an opportunity to step back and look at where you are at this moment in time. (view the article)

Conclusion – Be Kind to Yourself

The last point is appreciating that perfection is not attainable and it is debilitating to set a goal that always results in failure. Returning to the interviews last week business leaders in Entrepreneur magazine, Stevon Lewis, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, stresses the importance of not holding oneself to unreasonable standards.

“Temper your expectations of yourself. People that struggle with impostor syndrome frequently hold themselves to a standard of perfection that isn’t sustainable or achievable. If you are like this, you may convince yourself you are failing. It would be better for you to temper expectations by using scaling techniques to evaluate their performance. For example, if you have a list of 10 things to accomplish and you accomplish 9 out of 10, it would be more effective to say you’ve accomplish 90 percent of your plans, as well as reminding yourself that 90 percent is still an “A.” (view the article)

In her Forbes article, It’s Lonely At The Top: Dealing With Imposter Syndrome At The Executive Level, Jenn Loffgren, writes: “Most importantly, practice self-compassion. Be kind to yourself. Challenge your expectations of yourself, especially where they might be unrealistic.” (view the article)

This final point can be distilled from something we were told by our parents or by other wise supporters in our past, who said this with love and affection. You can’t do better than your best. So, do you your best and let that be enough to give you peace.

¹ Among the 17 companies examined with survey results from 10,402 respondents, Expedia had 72.88 percent of employees suffering from impostor syndrome, followed by Salesforce with 66.88 percent, then Amazon with 64.48 percent. Apple was last of the 17 with 45.45 percent. Apple is one of only three companies that have less than 50 percent of employees experiencing impostor syndrome, the other two being Cisco (46.67 percent) and eBay (49.69 percent).  (view the survey)