Breaking FREE from Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome – Insights from the front line

“Imposter syndrome is not a syndrome; it is a phenomenon that is greatly influenced by external factors that create limiting beliefs. When you tackle the limiting beliefs, you remove the imposter syndrome.”

This is a continuation of the Imposter Syndrome Newsletter that I wrote last October. It explains what imposter syndrome is from a positive psychology perspective and provides tactics and tools to bolster your self-confidence and help you move past it.

At its core, Imposter Syndrome relates to limiting beliefs that can be challenged, proven incorrect and then replaced with more empowering beliefs using the process of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). A good coach with NLP certification can support you through the process and the once you have your new empowering beliefs in place it is important to establish reinforcement mechanisms.

David Cowen very kindly invited me to participate in a series of Cowen Cafes late last year that covered the topic of Imposter Syndrome. It was a fantastic series of sessions where senior legal professionals came together to discuss their experiences of imposter syndrome openly. Here I share the key takeaways and insights.

Firstly, you are not alone. Most people in a professional environment will experience feelings of imposter syndrome and feelings of inadequacy many times during their careers. What is important is to understand what is ‘real’ and what is ‘false’ and then take steps to support yourself otherwise these feelings can impact negatively impact your performance, increase your stress, and lead to anxiety.

David has been known to say “Congratulations! Only high achievers feel imposter syndrome.”

Source of Imposter Syndrome

The course of imposter syndrome can vary greatly from one person to another, and it is not always easy or even beneficial to track down. NLP combined with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) does such a great job of identifying and replacing the limiting beliefs that in my opinion, it is best to remove the limiting belief rather than seek the source of the belief.

Nevertheless, it can be helpful to understand the broad causes of imposter syndrome as this can assist to determine another action you can take to support yourself. This could mean limiting your time with unsupportive people or dealing with other deeper issues around social anxiety or perfectionism.

Family upbringing – many of our limiting beliefs are formed during childhood when well-meaning family members are endeavouring to keep us safe and secure. These often unintentional beliefs can take a firm hold in some individuals and lead to imposter syndrome in later life. Three different family circumstances tend to result in later feelings of imposter syndrome – high achieving families; inconsistent parenting switching between praise and criticism; and families with high levels of conflict. It can be beneficial to spend less time with these people and in these environments.

New employment situations – entering a new role is often associated with higher levels of imposter syndrome due to the transition to unknown environments and the need to uplift skills or try new things. Feelings of inadequacy can result from the pressure to perform well in the new role.

Personality – certain personality traits have been associated with higher levels of imposter syndrome, especially perfectionism. Several studies have shown that lawyers tend to have higher degrees of perfectionism and urgency than the general population. This is a double whammy when it comes to imposter syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome and Discrimination

One key theme that came out very strongly in the Imposter Syndrome series was the relationship to discrimination. Based on the amount of discussion and sharing of personal anecdotes - institutionalised discrimination and prejudice towards underrepresented minorities in the legal profession are one of the leading contributors to imposter syndrome.

It became evident that women and people of colour experience the imposter syndrome that comes from discrimination more profoundly and more frequently than other groups. One classic quote was “Please give me the confidence of a mediocre white man.” There is no doubt that discrimination and unfair treatment can erode confidence and lead to imposter syndrome. The challenge is finding ways to support yourself to move past this so you can thrive and perform at your best.

The tactics and tools from positive psychology that I shared in the previous Newsletter only work on your feelings and perceptions and won’t make any impact on unfair or discriminatory practices. Sometimes it may be necessary to take action to change your environment. Although it’s always useful to seek validation of the situation from trusted confidantes before taking formal action.

Tactics from the front line

Here are some great ideas on how you can support yourself to overcome imposter syndrome. These have been inspired by the discussions in the Cowen Café sessions.

• Do your best to bring your authentic self to work otherwise you may experience distress due to cognitive dissonance. This will require being clear about your boundaries, strengths, and contribution.
• Cultivate an internal and external network of supporters – David recommends a Core 4 at work and a Core 4 outside of work.
• Seek feedback, although be aware that not all of it is helpful so take on board the helpful feedback and reject the unhelpful feedback. Ask for feedback and perspectives, as well as suggestions on how to do things differently and better next time.
• Increase your engagement in tasks whilst decreasing your attachment so you will be less impacted by negative feedback or outcomes
• Be intentional about putting yourself first and being kinder in general. See if you can turn criticisms into positive feedback and show more compassion.
• It is useful to consider human emotions and to work to increase your emotional intelligence so you can better understand your emotions and also work with the emotions of others.
• Legal work and legal education tend to include inherent conflict and disputes. Search for win-win outcomes that benefit all parties and can be completed with less hostility.
• Model appropriate behaviours and lead by example.
• Support your mental and physical health in order to be the best you can at your job.
• Focus on incremental improvements rather than massive leaps forward or perfect outcomes.
• Remind yourself of positive feedback and keep a record of all the compliments you receive so you can balance this against any negative feedback.
• Find ways to slow down and savour your achievements rather than being too quick to move on to the next big task.
• Change the focus from perfect to good enough and fit for purpose. Professi9onalism is not the same as perfectionism.
• Be confident even if you don’t know everything. You have learnt new things many times before and you know how to do research to find the required knowledge, and when to seek out the expertise of others.
• Ensure you contribute to an inclusive workplace and work to overcome biases. Underrepresented minorities are more likely to experience imposter syndrome more often and this can be the result of discrimination.

Negative impacts of imposter syndrome

The common impacts of prolonged and repeated imposter syndrome are –

• The Poor Work Performance
• Job dissatisfaction and burnout
• Being overlooked for promotion
• Increased anxiety and self-doubt
• Shame associated with feeling like a fraud
• Lack of self confidence
• Frustration and increased risk of depression
• Potential substance abuse and other avoidance behaviours

Overcoming imposter syndrome

From my experience, the three most effective tactics to overcome imposter syndrome are to cultivate a growth mindset, establish empowering beliefs, and focus on strengths.

Growth Mindset – draws on the research and models developed by Carol Dweck that identifies a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset and the benefits of developing a more open, growth-oriented outlook. In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence and talents are simply fixed traits that cannot be enhanced. Those with a growth mindset believe their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, with intelligence and talent being the starting point or foundation for expanded possibilities.

Empowering beliefs –Neuro Linguistic Programming is an area of research dedicated to the identification, elimination, and replacement of limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs. There are some simple tools that support the shift from limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs. Step 1 – identify the belief; Step 2 look for evidence to dispute the belief, Step 3 craft an alternate empowering belief; Step 4 replace the limiting belief; Step 5 reinforce the empowering belief. This is one of my particular areas of interest and I obtained my Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certification a few years ago to support clients on this journey.

Strengths Identification – I have written a previous newsletter and numerous posts about the benefits of identifying and playing to individual strengths in order to achieve optimal performance. On an individual level, the benefits of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses are – lower stress levels; increased engagement; improved resilience; more energy and mindfulness; improved goal attainments, and increased wellbeing and flourishing. There are many assessment tools and much research conducted into strengths from organisations including Cliftons, VIA Institute and Gallup. Unfortunately, two recent findings can help to explain the prevalence of imposter syndrome – 1. One of the top strengths globally is humility in over 57% of the population; and 2. The unrealised strength of legacy occurs in around 34% of the population. These two insights seem to be connected to the prevalence of imposter syndrome. Here's the link to the Strengths Newsletter from July last year.

“A coach with the right skills can support you to overcome imposter syndrome and thrive through cultivating a growth mindset, replacing limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs, and focussing on strengths.”

Find out more…

Things are not okay if you are constantly on edge; experiencing long periods of anxiety; experiencing prolonged depression; or losing your joy and feeling burnt out. If this describes you then please seek support.

The POSITIVE Lawyer ? can help with intermittent, short-lived feelings of self-doubt and support the replacement of limiting beliefs with more empowering beliefs. For anything more pervasive, support from a psychologist will be more beneficial, or should at least be occurring in parallel.

I’d also love to support you with a FREE 30-minute coaching call to work on resilience and to replace limiting beliefs. What are you waiting for, book in NOW

Or, you can buy the book The POSITIVE Lawyer? Mindset and read the chapters on emotions and beliefs.

My aim is to inspire you to transform your working life and achieve great things and I look forward to joining you on your journey!