(ARTICLE): How To Deal With Imposter Syndrome

The fear Maya Angelou expresses above is one I’ve heard shared by many high achieving people — that they will at some point be discovered to be a fake or a fraud. 

There is a label for this belief pattern: Imposter Syndrome.

Impostor syndrome is defined as 

“A psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’. 

- Wikipedia

This essentially means that for some people, their accomplishments seem too great to have been their own, and instead, they attribute it to various factors such as luck or deception.

The odds are that you or someone close to you has had Imposter Syndrome fears.

What are some common signs of Imposter Syndrome?

• Overworking to ensure nothing at all is dropped or missed, leaving no room for potential criticism.

• Constantly battling anxiety over being compared to others.

• Purposefully staying out of the spotlight and reaching only for safe successes rather than continuing to seek challenges.

Those  with imposter fears typically work hard to impress or avoid being a target and are never really able to trust feedback from others … or trust their skills … or trust their right to have a learning curve … or trust their place in an organisation.

Many successful people suffer from impostor syndrome. 

 You may believe that others are more qualified than you, and every time you succeed, you’re not confident you can do it again.

You need to think of your work differently

We might say to ourselves, 

“I’m not the right person for this” 

 “I just know I’m going to get called out.” 

Or, if you’re like me, you might look at what you’re creating, and ask:

 “Does the world really need this?”

These feelings are especially common when we start something new, share our ideas, or become new leaders.

But impostor syndrome is rarely a sign that you’re going down the wrong path. 

Most of the time, it’s simply a defence mechanism against failure and disappointment. 

When we try to talk ourselves out of pursuing our goals, when we try to convince ourselves that our work isn’t important, we’re avoiding whatever it is we need to do. 

We don’t want to fail, so we never start. And when we never start, we never succeed.

The more successful and skilled you are, the more likely you are to think that you’re stupid and faking it. 

The key lies in perception v.s reality, and how successful people can deal with feeling like a fraud whilst still striving and reaching their goals.

The 5 types of imposter syndrome

1. The Perfectionist.

These are high performers who pride themselves on producing the highest calibre/quality of work. 

They tend to micromanage and have a hard time delegating. 

The perfectionist has to be the one to do things because they fear that things won’t be done well if they aren’t involved.

2. The Expert

These kinds of people feel like they’ve tricked their way into their position and that they don’t deserve it.

3. The Superwoman/man

This is a person with a can-do attitude who is prone to pushing themselves to their limits. 

These kinds of people feel the need to prove themselves and feel like they constantly need to earn their stripes.

4. The Stubborn Soloist

These kinds of people don’t like asking for help. 

They pride themselves on holding the weight of the project/work on their shoulders and don’t want to look incapable by asking for help.

5. The Natural Genius 

This person has genetics on their side. 

They are naturally smart and talented but have difficulty facing challenges out of their expertise because it makes them feel stupid.

It’s important to remember that the imposter syndrome doesn’t just disappear when you’ve reached your goals or achieved success. 

In fact, you just feel like a bigger fraud and that you have to work harder so people don’t catch you out. It’s a scary place to be because your success makes the fear of failing so much more threatening.

The clinical signs of imposter syndrome:

1. general anxiety
2. low or lack of self-confidence
3. depression
4. frustration related to feelings of inability to meet your self-imposed standards of achievement.

How to combat the thoughts of imposter syndrome

1. Acknowledge the feeling

It’s completely normal to feel like you’re not the right person for A job, project, or relationship. 

That’s nothing to be ashamed of. 

Everyone has that feeling, even those at the top of their field.

The great writer Maya Angelou once said....

“I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.’”

2. Examine your motives. 

Are you working for attention, or to make a genuine impact? 

Focus on the latter. 

Every time I write an article, record a podcast, or create a video,

 I think: “This is just stroking my ego.” 

But then that thought is countered by another one: “Well, there might be one person who finds this useful.” I make that the reason why I keep at it.

4. See yourself as a student. 

When you’re creating or leading, acknowledge that you don't know everything and that you're there to also learn.

If you take on this mindset, imposter syndrome can’t survive in your head, because it has nothing to grab onto. 

You’re not trying to fake a persona or maintain a certain image — instead, you’re motivated by curiosity.

5. Match your experience and intuition with some knowledge — so you can make an informed decision on the ‘to do, or not to do’ question:

most people will feel like an imposter, because there’s someone else knows more than they do, or can do it better than they do. 

But have you ever seen someone do something and thought....

 "I could have explained it / or done that better?"

When you do, chances are you’ll have more confidence because you’ve matched your personal style and intuitive way of doing things with an informed approach. 

When you fly solo with just your own intuition — the fear of thinking someone might know more or something you don’t will cripple you whether you were right or not.

6. Keep A Record Of Your Positive Feedback

A lot of people focus more on their critics than they do to all the people who cheering them on.

This is a great practice that will encourage and motivate you. 

This also reframes your mind and pulls you away from the thoughts of feeling like an imposter. It also provides evidence that you’re capable and intelligent, reminding you of your important achievements.

7. Ask for help

No-one is truly self made.

Without your support, this Patreon would not exist.

Without customers and clients, there would be no billion / trillion £/$ companies.

Without an audience, there are no celebrities.

Everyone receives some form of help along their journey.

Sometimes, when we’re in a leadership role we feel like we have to be an expert on everything. It can make us feel vulnerable and embarrassed to say that we don’t understand something or that we are out of our depth. 

Every time you feel this way, it’s time to practice asking for help. 

The truth is that everyone, experts and beginners, need help in order to grow.

 If they don’t ask for help from someone with the know-how, they have to pretend to know about things that they have no idea about. 

And, that’s how you actually become an imposter.

 “The successful people I know don’t question themselves. They question their knowledge and they’re not afraid to ask for advice.”

- Mike Cannon Brooks

Closing Thoughts

I want to encourage you not to let imposter syndrome cripple you and your ability to succeed. 

Don’t let it drive you to a depth of perfectionism from which you feel there’s no escaping. 

See it for what it is, a thief. 

A thief of your time, energy, ability and confidence. 

You can't stop the feelings that imposter syndrome brings with it, but you must give yourself permission to break free from it.

Till next time.