Imposter Syndrome: What it is, Why it is, and 5 Behavioral Tips for Overcoming It!

Stepping into a leadership role is often a big responsibility. I remember feeling lucky and underserved when I landed my first “official” leadership position almost three decades ago. I put “official” in quotes because positional authority does not make one a leader. At any rate, while I went on to earn two degrees in leadership and eventually developed a leadership toolbox grounded in organizational behavior management (behavior science!), I had no idea what a good leader was. And for lack of a better term, I felt like an imposter, especially since I had been given the leadership position by default. This is because the person who was in the role previously had quit with no notice, and they really had no other choices! But though I felt like an imposter, being an actual imposter involves intentionally deceiving others about one's skills, qualifications, or accomplishments. And that, I definitely never did. I actually felt similar feelings when I started boxing, became a behavior analyst, and began public speaking. What I discovered was that I was frequently suffering from what has been coined as imposter syndrome. And I'm guessing that, if you are reading this, I am not alone. Please know that you are not alone either!

What Imposter Syndrome Is

Imposter syndrome can affect anyone, regardless of their background, age, or level of success. Generally defined as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments, those suffering from it may feel like they will eventually be exposed as a fraud. I definitely felt that way. Perhaps you feel you are not qualified or deserving of a role. Despite your achievements, you might have thoughts that you are just "winging it" or that you are not as competent as your colleagues or predecessors. Unfortunately, feeling this way can lead to a lack of confidence in your decision-making abilities which can manifest itself behaviorally in a number of ways that can ultimately undermine your effectiveness.

Why People Develop Imposter Syndrome

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the development of imposter syndrome:

1. Perfectionism: People who strive for perfection in everything they do are often more likely to experience imposter syndrome. They set high standards for themselves and feel like they have failed if they don't meet those standards, leading to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.
2. Family or cultural background: People who come from families or cultures that place a strong emphasis on achievement or success may be more prone to imposter syndrome. They may feel pressure to live up to high expectations or feel like they have to prove themselves in order to be accepted or valued.
3. Previous failures or setbacks: People who have experienced failures or setbacks in their past may be more susceptible to imposter syndrome. They may worry that their past mistakes will be discovered or that they will fail again in the future.
4. Comparing oneself to others: People who constantly compare themselves to others and feel like they are not measuring up are more likely to experience imposter syndrome. They may feel like they are not as successful or competent as their peers, leading to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity.
5. Lack of support or validation: People who do not receive enough support or validation for their achievements may be more likely to experience imposter syndrome. They may feel like their successes are not recognized or appreciated, leading to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

In short, your history may have shaped a self-expectation that, in the absence of concrete measures, feedback, and reinforcement for incremental growth accessible in your current environment, leaves you feeling insecure about what you can do, and what you can produce as a result of your actions. Understanding the factors that can contribute to imposter syndrome can help you to recognize these feelings. But overcoming them requires action.

5 Tips for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

First, it's important to note that imposter syndrome is not a personal flaw or weakness, but rather a common behavioral phenomenon that can affect anyone. Fortunately, imposter syndrome can be beaten back by increasing one’s self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a person's belief in their ability to achieve specific goals and tasks. This is critical as those with high self-efficacy are far more likely to be successful. But self-efficacy isn't developed magically. It requires engaging in behavior and producing valued outcomes. The degree to which you are able to align your behavior with an accomplishment can boost your self-efficacy and fight back the imposter syndrome boogie man (or woman!). So, what can be done to boost your self-efficacy to effectively reduce imposed syndrome? Well, here are five behavioral tips to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Observation: Watching others succeed can be a powerful source of motivation. This "vicarious learning," or seeing others who are similar to yourself achieve success can provide a sense of confidence that you can also achieve similar success. This was actually a driving factor that led me to pursue my doctorate. “If he can do it, so can I,” was my thought. This got my behavior going in the right direction.
2. Measurement: All results require behavior. Pinpointing a result and the behavior required to achieve those results is very important to achieving success. But it’s not just about knowing what you want to accomplish and how to accomplish it. You must also have a way to measure your progress. In the absence of measurement, everything is just guesswork. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. If it were losing weight, for example, measurement can be as simple as clothing fitting looser, to as sophisticated as body-fat measurement. ?What's important is having the ability to recognize even the smallest changes that are being produced as a result of your behavior.
3. Feedback: Verbal persuasion, like encouragement and positive feedback from others, can be a powerful antecedent for getting your behavior going in the right direction and increasing your self-efficacy. Hearing that others believe in your abilities can provide a sense of confidence and serve as a powerful antecedent to get behavior going. But sometimes, you need to recruit feedback. This can be from a trusted source or from people around you. I like to ask for plusses and deltas. In short, what specifically am I doing well, and how can I be a little better tomorrow than I was today? The key here is that I get feedback that’s specifically related to my behavior, and what is happening as a result of it.
4. Self-awareness: People tend to be poor observers of their behavior, poor observers of the impact of their behavior on the environment (people are a major part of our environments), and the impact of the environment on their behavior.?It’s important to recognize that, in the end, it’s not what you think or feel, but what you do that matters. You must separate feelings from facts. Besides, worrying about being an imposter can produce the very outcomes you are trying to avoid. But don’t beat yourself up about worrying. Instead, acknowledge that you are worried. Be self-compassionate by accepting that you are worried. Then, and most importantly, commit to engaging in behaviors that are going to move you toward your values, and value-driven goals. ?Accepting how you are feeling and then focusing on engaging in pivotal behaviors that move you towards your values (a way of being and doing) and value driven-goals tends to counter all of those crummy feelings and thoughts that show up. Thoughts like, "I'm an imposter!" The trick is not to waste your energy trying to get rid of how you are thinking and feeling. That's like focusing on holding a ball underwater when your focus is better placed on moving toward your values. Instead of getting hooked in your mind on failure, embrace it as data that tells you what not to do next time. Then focus on leveraging your strengths to initiate and sustain behavior that will move you forward. Almost every one of my successes has come as the result of great failure. While it didn't feel like it at the time, I now realize that it acted like a springboard that propelled me in the right direction.
5. Positive reinforcement: In the end, what is most important is successfully completing meaningful tasks and producing valued outcomes. These mastery experiences increase self-efficacy by providing evidence of your own abilities. People who experience success are more likely to believe that they can continue to achieve success in the future. If they have good sources of motivation to get their behavior going, good self-awareness, good measures, and good feedback regarding their behavior and the meaningful outcomes they are producing, they will continue down the path to successfully overcoming imposter syndrome.

Remember that building self-efficacy takes time and effort. But with self-compassion in the form of acceptance and behavioral persistence, you will build confidence, achieve your goals, and consequently eliminate the thoughts, feelings, and actions associated with the dreaded imposter syndrome. Besides, the fact is, becoming relatively good at anything is a process.?And, in my opinion, having imposter syndrome is far better than being overconfident, but under-competent, a phenomena I will discuss in another article focused on the Dunning-Kruger effect.

About the Author

Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at?PCMA. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the?Opioid Awareness Foundation?and?World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked?Crisis in Education Podcast?and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books?Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage:?How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest. He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his?Fight Science series?continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series?Leave it to Geege.