Female Leaders Share Strategies to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

By Rob Sloan, VP Cybersecurity Advocacy, Zscaler?

At the Women Leaders in Cybersecurity event held at NYU School of Law on January 26, a panel of experts discussed how imposter syndrome can affect women at all stages of their careers and shared strategies for reducing its impact.

While imposter syndrome doesn’t only affect women, data shows that it affects women more frequently. One recent survey of 4,000 adults in the United Kingdom by OnePoll found 53% of women have experienced feeling self-doubt and incompetence compared to 46% of men. Seventy-two per cent of women reported especially feeling that way in the workplace.?

Sufferers typically don’t feel confident or competent, regardless of their personal and professional achievements, which can lead to individuals limiting their progression or even self-sabotaging opportunities for workplace advancement.?

What If Someone Finds Out That I’m A Fraud?

Panelist Linda Lautenberg, co-founder of EvolveMe, which helps women in midlife relaunch, reinvent or level up their careers, said: “The whole feeling is ‘what if someone finds out that I’m a fraud?’ And you get convinced in your head that you’re the only one.”?

She added oftentimes the more accomplished a woman becomes, the more likely they are to feel like an imposter and the less likely they are to admit to feeling insecure about their abilities.?

According to Lautenberg, one of the best ways to defeat the feelings of being an imposter is to talk about it with colleagues or friends outside work. “As soon as you share it, it gets normalized.” She added that it is also important to remember we are all more qualified than we realize. “Others see stuff in you that you don’t see in yourself.”

You Can’t Be What You Can’t See

Kavitha Mariappan, EVP of Customer Experience and Transformation at Zscaler, acknowledged having felt imposter syndrome at times during her career. She said part of the issue is “You can’t be what you can’t see” and the lack of women leaders in technology and cybersecurity roles means women doubt their own ability to reach senior roles.?

Mariappan discussed the importance of supporting female leaders at all stages throughout their career. She highlighted Zscaler’s support for ongoing staff development and her own commitment to mentoring, coaching and sponsoring rising female talent. Mariappan created Zscaler’s first employee resource group for women and then used that as a blueprint for other under-represented groups in the company.?

More recently, she has focused on supporting women leaders in the company’s customer base and beyond. She recently wrapped up the Women in IT and Security event in Palm Beach specifically for female leaders.?

Mariappan said: “Even those at the top of their game still experience creeping feelings of inadequacy. That’s why it helps to have a network of peers who can validate your input or act as a sounding board for new ideas.”

Learn more about Zscaler’s Women in IT & Security event here.

Pictured above: Panelists (L-R) Kavitha Mariappan, EVP Customer Experience & Transformation at Zscaler; Linda Lautenberg, Co-Founder, EvolveMe; Harriet Pearson, Executive Deputy Superintendent, Cybersecurity Division Head, New York Department of Financial Services; Andrea Markstrom, CIO, Schulte Roth & Zabel and Founder of iWill; and moderator Kathryn Lancioni, Professor, Rutgers University and Founder of Presenting Perfection.