Do you wonder if you are good enough? Do you deserve your place? Imposter Syndrome

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Imposter Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which individuals doubt their accomplishments, talents, or skills and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud."

Despite external evidence of their competence, people with imposter syndrome feel like they don’t deserve their success or fear that they have somehow deceived others into believing they are more capable than they are.

Its far more common than you might suspect, lots of people suffer from Imposter Syndrome to a greater or lesser degree, even celebrities, many have talked openly about it.

Here are just a few: -

1.????????????????? Tiger Woods - International Golfer

2.????????????????? Maya Angelou - Renowned Author and Poet

3.????????????????? Michelle Obama - Former First Lady of the United States

4.????????????????? Tom Hanks - Academy Award-Winning Actor

5.????????????????? Emma Watson - Actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador

6.????????????????? Sheryl Sandberg - COO of Facebook and Author

7.????????????????? Lady Gaga - Singer and Actress

8.????????????????? Natalie Portman - Academy Award-Winning Actress

9.????????????????? Tina Fey - Comedian, Writer, and Actress

10.????????????? Howard Schultz - Former CEO of Starbucks

11.????????????? David Bowie - Musician and Actor

12.????????????? Albert Einstein – Scientist

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Salespeople, Executives and those in leadership roles are often people that suffer from Imposter Syndrome, yes, we all have doubts at times, but Imposter Syndrome is beyond just doubting one’s ability.

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Breakdown of Imposter Syndrome

1. Core Feelings and Beliefs:

Self-Doubt: A constant feeling of inadequacy or self-doubt, regardless of past achievements or evidence of competence.

Fear of Exposure: Anxiety about being “found out” or “exposed” as a fraud, even when there is no logical basis for these fears.

Downplaying Success: Attributing success to luck, timing, or external factors, rather than one’s skills or hard work.

Perfectionism: Setting excessively high standards for oneself, often resulting in feelings of failure or anxiety even when performance is objectively successful.

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1. Types of Imposter Syndrome:

The Perfectionist: Sets extremely high expectations and feels like a failure when even a small part of their plan is not perfect. They often think, “If I were really competent, everything I did would be flawless.”

The Superwoman/Superman: Feels the need to push themselves harder than everyone else to prove they are not imposters. They often overwork, take on too much, and feel like they must excel in every area to compensate for their self-doubt.

The Natural Genius: Believes they must be a "natural" at everything. They feel like imposters when they struggle to master something quickly or when they need to put in effort, believing that truly competent people wouldn't have to work so hard.

The Soloist: Feels they should be able to accomplish everything on their own and often avoids asking for help or support, believing that needing help reveals their inadequacy.

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The Expert: Focuses on what they don't know or can’t do, often feeling like a fraud if they don't know all the answers. They may feel unqualified or worry they lack knowledge, even if they are already highly skilled or knowledgeable.

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1. Common Triggers and Situations:

New Challenges: Taking on a new job, promotion, or significant project can trigger feelings of inadequacy.

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Comparison with Others: Frequently comparing oneself to peers, colleagues, or industry leaders can lead to feelings of not measuring up.

Lack of External Validation: In environments where feedback is scarce or vague, individuals may question their abilities or worth.

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Social Pressure or Stereotypes: Cultural, social, or gender-based expectations can exacerbate feelings of imposter syndrome, especially for those who feel they don't fit the "mold" of success.

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1. Psychological and Emotional Impact:

Anxiety and Stress: Constant self-doubt and fear of being exposed can lead to chronic stress and anxiety.

Low Self-Esteem: Feelings of inadequacy can result in low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in one's abilities.

Burnout: Overcompensating for perceived inadequacies often leads to burnout from overworking and trying to "prove" oneself constantly.

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Avoidance and Procrastination: Fear of failure or not meeting one's own high standards can lead to avoidance of tasks or procrastination.

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1. Coping Strategies and Interventions:

Cognitive Restructuring: Challenging and reframing negative thoughts to align with reality. For example, recognizing that it’s normal to feel uncertain sometimes and that effort and learning are part of growth.

Recognizing Achievements: Keeping a record of accomplishments, positive feedback, and moments of success can help counter feelings of inadequacy.

Seeking Support: Talking to mentors, peers, or mental health professionals can provide perspective and reassurance.

Self-Compassion: Practicing self-compassion and acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes and has limitations.

Limiting Comparison: Focusing on personal growth rather than comparing oneself to others.

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1. Who Experiences Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is common across various demographics and professions, affecting both men and women. It is often seen in high-achievers, creatives, academics, professionals, and those in competitive or high-stakes environments. Factors such as personality traits (like perfectionism) and family or cultural background may contribute to its development.

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Let me tell you a story.

Back in 2012, I moved back into recruitment after running a successful boutique consultancy for three years, delivering projects in the BI space.

Starting again, we needed clients quickly and secured several of the major consultancy firms as clients, via our network. However, we also had an amazing opportunity to get on the ‘preferred supplier list’ with Microsoft, it was a formal tender process but worth a go.

Amazingly we managed to get through the early rounds, but we were ‘punching far beyond our weight’, primarily because having just started out we did not have much of a trading history, although we had the longevity in the recruitment industry.?

To our surprise we got through to the very end and finally ended up having to prepare for the presentation phase. Our presentation was very much from the heart. The designated sector was looking after the gaming studios (Soho Productions and Lift London) building out their teams, finding the unicorns they needed, real techy guys. It was definitely not our forte, but we applied our core principles to it. Regarded as a ‘hot space’ at that time, but very different from the consultancy and enterprise software markets we were familiar with.

The competition had professional tender writers and even professional presenters running through the presentation most were very slick. We had to create a presentation across a number of specific areas, knowledge of the space, tech knowledge, selection process, and how to find the best people for each studio. Bearing in mind we had little or no idea about ‘what good looked like’ at the time.?

We prepared the presentation on PowerPoint and started to present to the panel of 16 people. My partner and I stood up and took turns speaking, trying to justify why we had got as far as we had, and why we wanted the opportunity of working with Microsoft and specifically within the gaming space.

Now I can generally talk about most things, but this was a hard audience, no one laughed at our jokes, they were the elite deep gaming experts as well as some Senior HR & Recruitment specialists, all at the top of their games.

As I stood on stage, I remember my heart being in my mouth, feeling sick, and feeling an utter fraud.? “I know nothing”, and I knew practically nothing about the Gaming Industry, I was out of my league, in deep water, and should have stayed home. With the spotlight on me I felt small, exposed and totally inadequate and an imposter who simply should not be here. What made it even worse, was the whole presentation was being filmed, should I look at the camera or the panel?

What I did know about was recruitment, finding the best people, creating excellent process and even finding the Unicorns they needed by digging in deep and networking. It was these things that we concentrated on.

Amazingly they awarded us the contract, along with two other much larger player. The interesting thing is we outperformed them three years in a row by finding some amazing people.

But the feeling never left me, being up on stage and that feeling of being ‘an utter fraud’ being exposed for who I was, a fraud. Towards the end of the contract, after three renewals, I had acquired an amazing amount of knowledge about the ‘Gaming Market’, but you still don’t easily get me up on stage, these days.

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Imposter syndrome doesn’t have a single cause; rather, it stems from a combination of various psychological, social, and environmental factors. Understanding these causes and risk factors can help identify why some people are more prone to feeling like an imposter than others.

Personality Traits: ??????????????????????????????????????

Upbringing and Family Dynamics:

Perfectionist

High Parental Expectations

High Achievers

Over-Praising or Under-Praising

Neuroticism and Anxiety,

Comparisons Among Siblings

Low Self-Esteem or Insecurity

Mixed Messages

Professional and Academic Environment

Social and Cultural Factors

High-Stakes or Competitive Environments

Cultural Expectations

Lack of Feedback or Validation

Social Comparisons

Rapid Advancement or New Roles

Minority Status or Underrepresentation

Creative Professions

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Experiences of Failure or Setbacks

Psychological Theories

New Challenges or Responsibilities

Attribution Theory

Past Failures or Criticism

Cognitive Distortions

Gender and Societal Factors

Gender Stereotypes

Bias and Discrimination

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Imposter syndrome often results from a combination of these factors rather than any single cause. For example, a person might have a perfectionist personality, experience high parental expectations growing up, and work in a highly competitive environment where success is critical—all of which can contribute to imposter feelings.

Conclusion:

Understanding these causes and risk factors is key to addressing imposter syndrome. It helps recognize that these feelings often stem from external pressures and ingrained thought patterns rather than a true reflection of one’s abilities.

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??????????????? About the Author

Howard Longstaff has over 30 years of experience delivering people within the talent acquisition arena, working extensively across the UK, Europe, USA, and Canada. Specialising in building ‘Sales Teams’, and back filling roles in the Leadership Team, (the C-Suite), helping to get the balance right.

‘Getting it right first time’ is never easy, Howard is one of the few executive search consultants who is willing to guarantee the work he does, offering a 12-month free replacement. ‘No one is perfect, but a team can be’, working with SaaS startups, SEM’s and Mid-Market clients who are scaling up, working on an exclusive or retained basis.

Repeatedly building teams across three continents, he has a good breadth of knowledge across the talent acquisition and enterprise software arenas.

Over the last 20 years he has also coached 1000’s of people, staff, clients and candidates, either career coaching or general life coaching. Now as a ‘Full-Stack People Consultant he spends his time coaching and placing people.

[email protected] ? +44 (0) 7710 907 988

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