Impostor Syndrome: The What, Why, When and How.

Imagine giving an important presentation that is pivotal to your career or business.

It’s a tough audience…they are the badaas of all! The chair is waving his hand, beckoning you to start.

You summon your timid self and start.

 Twenty minutes later…..

Applause!

Great presentation …..Well-articulated….good visuals…

Then one of the speakers (the most elite) gives you a standing ovation and in the ensuing melee (at least in your mind) asks for an in-depth explanation of a certain concept (which of course you as well aversed with)

Silence!

They are staring skeptically ….eagerly waiting for a deeper discourse…

Suddenly, you are too nervous and uncertain- who wouldn’t?-your voice trails away-nothing is coming out.

Deafening silence!

When a word finally manages to escape your quivery lips, it’s a mere whisper in the hoarsest of voices!

Dear Lord!

Suddenly, you have forgotten everything. Even the title of your presentation…..Holy Molly!

Poor you!

 For once in your life, you are not even sure of whom you are- the person you think you are-or if whatever content you just presented is actually legit or it’s only by sheer luck you executed it. You completely doubt yourself and are 101% sure that the presentation you gave was hogwash and in fact this particular panellist is out to prove that. You sure must be a fraud just about to be caught! The ultimate impostor...

Yes!

Impostor syndrome!

That’s the name of whatever just crawled up your sleeve and with no doubt our subject of interest today!

So what is impostor syndrome anyway?

Well, the syndrome was first described by Psychologists in 1978. They posited that “despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who experience the impostor phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise. 

As much as the study focused on high achieving women …

                                  ….you gentlemen are no exception!

A review done in 2020 reveals that, 9%–82%Trusted Source of people experience impostor syndrome although the numbers may vary depending on who participates in a study.

Interestingly, famous women — from the princess of Sussex Meghan Markel to Hollywood superstars such as Charlize Theron and even former First Lady Michelle Obama and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor — have confessed to experiencing it.

And did you know that there are actually different types of impostor syndromes?

Yes! That’s right……

 We don’t all experience this phenomenon in a similar way. In fact, Dr. Valerie Young, author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, has broken down Imposter Syndrome into 5 different types...

 Actually…..

It’s pretty important that you understand your “type” because each has slightly different habits that can keep you stuck hence specific things you can work on to get yourself Unstuck.

In this article, we discuss five types of impostor syndrome identified by Dr. Valerie Young; how to recognize them, the risk factors that perpetuate it, and most importantly ways to overcome them…..

Grab your coffee and peanuts. Let’s do this!

# 1   The Perfectionist

Talk of Perfectionism and often impostor syndrome will enter stage. Perfectionists usually experiences high levels of anxiety, doubt, and worry, especially when they set themselves extreme goals that they are unable to achieve.

 There biggest undoing is focusing on areas where they could have done better rather than celebrating their achievements. To them, success is rarely satisfying.

They are also control freaks and often feel like if a task has to be done right, they have to do it themselves.

If the answer to the following questions is yes, then this could be you:

• When you don’t achieve your insanely high targets, do you accuse yourself of “not being fit” for your job and dwell on it for days?
• Do you feel like your work should be 100% perfect all the time
• Do you have great trouble delegating? Do you feel frustrated and disappointed in the results in case you delegate?

Action step: Learn to take your mistakes with a grain of salt, perceiving them as a natural part of the process. Embrace the fact that there will never be the “perfect time” to take action and 100% flawless work is a mirage.

Accepting that things sometimes go wrong can increase resilience and overall mental well-being.

 Most importantly, learn to celebrate your small wins-they eventually culminate to the big wins!

  # 2   The Expert

This type usually measures their competence based on “how much” they know. Basically, they put off starting anything until they “know all there is to know”, out of fear of being exposed as inexperienced or unknowledgeable. This makes it hard for them to complete tasks.

You are an expert if you:

• Panic when someone says you’re an expert and feel like you still don’t know “enough”.
•  Avoid applying to job postings unless you meet every single requirement.
• Constantly are seeking out trainings or certifications because you think you need to improve your skills in order to succeed.

Action step : To solve this, avoid trying to learn everything, simply for the sake of “hoarding” knowledge for (illusioned) comfort. Learn to seek for advice and also engage in mentorship because through this you get to discover your inner expert and helps you heal your fraudulent feelings.

 # 3 The Natural Genius

Just like the perfectionists, this group set their internal bar ridiculously high. However, they not only judge themselves based on ridiculous expectations, but also on getting things right on the first try. If they can’t master something with ease, they feel like frauds. 

Wondering if this applies to you?

• As a child, were you frequently told that you were the “smart one” in your family or peer group?
• Do you believe that you can handle things on your own hence dislike the idea of having a mentor?
• Are you used to excelling with minimal effort hence when faced with a setback your confidence tumbles since not performing well provokes a feeling of shame?

Action step: Accept that learning is a lifelong journey and we are all work in progress inclusive of the most confident people. Stop avoiding things that challenge you terming them as “not your thing” but rather accept it a challenge but do it anyway!

# 4 The Super humans

These are the typical “doubting Thomas’s”. They have lots’ of self-doubt and strongly believe that they’re phonies amongst their super hero peers hence push themselves to work harder than everyone else so that they can “measure up” and avoid being exposed as a fraud.

Unfortunately, this type of “workaholism” can lead to serious burnout, mental fatigue, and even sabotaged relationships.

This does not apply to you if …

• You feel entitled to your achievements and are not pressed to work harder and longer than those around you to prove your worth
•  You rarely stay late at the office than the rest of your team, after completing the day’s task and tend to get stressed when you have to work after office hours.
•  You find your downtime completely useful hence your hobbies and passions can never be sacrificed with work.

Action step: Break the habit of Personalising Constructive criticism and overly relying on external validation. Know when to stop and how much work is reasonable. Let no one have more power to make you feel good about yourself than you, instead get more attuned to internal validation.

Most importantly, nurture your inner confidence that states you’re unique, competent and skilled. That makes you are enough!

4. The Soloist (rugged individualist)

 These individuals prefer to work alone, fearing that asking for help will reveal incompetence. Often, they may turn down help in an attempt to prove their self-worth.

This applies to you if you respond affirmatively to the below questions:

• Do you strongly believe that you need to accomplish things on your own?
• Do you frame requests in terms of project requirements rather than your personal needs?

 Action step: Accept that we are all human and as it is, no man is an island.

So then, what  are the risk factors?

While anyone can develop impostor syndrome, several factors increase the risk. We highlight 2 major risk factors:

1.  The environment they grow in:

People from some ethnic groups may also be more at risk due to experience of discrimination as suggested by a Research Trusted Source.

In a family set-up, when an individual grows up alongside a “gifted” sibling, they may internalize feelings of inadequacy that are not justified hence develop impostor syndrome tendencies.

On the flip-side, an individual that easily performed well during childhood may experience doubts when faced with a task that is hard to achieve in adulthood. This if not checked can lead to depression and anxiety a common characteristic of impostor syndrome.

2.  Encountering new challenges:

A sense of “impostorism” can be triggered by a new opportunity, such as a promotion new promotion at work where an individual may feel undeserving of the new position or feel that they will be unable to perform adequately.

My take away!

Studies suggest 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their career. This basically shows that regardless of the specific profile you fall in, in pursuit for brand confidence, you ain’t alone!

Choose today as your opportunity to start accepting and embracing your capabilities and not attributing them to luck, network or other external forces. 

My parting shot!

Care much about what society thinks but do it anyway….

Never be the one to tell yourself no……

Be kind and fair to thy self…..

Be unapologetically and super awesomely you….

You are enough!