Beat the Imposter
Imposter Syndrome has been defined by Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes as “a psychological experience of believing that one's accomplishments came about not through genuine ability but as a result of having been lucky, having worked harder than others, or having manipulated other people's impressions, has been labeled the impostor phenomenon."
Many of us will have experienced it — we think we fluked that exam, or only got the job because we exaggerated our ability, or that we’re not worthy of the praise we received. Alongside an ongoing fear of being exposed as a fraud; that one day people will catch on that you’re not as good as you made out to be.
Chances are, these are simply signs that Imposter Syndrome is present.
Imposter Syndrome is not just for the shy, meek or anxious.
In fact people who struggle with impostor syndrome are in extremely good company. Albert Einstein, the Nobel Prize winner recognized as one of the most influential scientists in history, referred to himself as an “involuntary swindler” and suggested his work didn’t deserve the acclaim it received.
The writer and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Maya Angelou once said: “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they're going to find out now.”
And three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep — widely regarded as the greatest living actress — has revealed she gets “cold feet” before every new project and thinks: “Why would anyone want to see me again in a movie? And I don’t know how to act anyway, so why am I doing this?”
The list goes on, with writer John Steinbeck, actress Jodie Foster and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg all revealing they have suffered from similar insecurities in the past. Impostor Syndrome can be paralysing, lead to self-doubt, and affect confidence.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, it is estimated 70% of people will suffer from impostor syndrome at some point in their lives. If you’re not careful that nagging voice can prevent many people from living their fullest life.
Now despite its name, it isn’t a disease or abnormality, and as I’ve said it isn’t necessarily tied to depression, anxiety or self-esteem. It is a feeling, an experience, a belief that can be hard to shake.
The 5 Types of Imposter
Valerie Young, a leading impostor syndrome expert and author of the book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, identified and described the following five different “types of impostors” from her work in the area:
The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist’s primary focus is on “how” something is done — and one minor flaw in an otherwise stellar performance is not enough.
The Expert
This is the knowledge version of the perfectionist. The expert expects to know everything; even a minor lack of knowledge is a failure.
The Soloist
Cares about who completes the task, and feels like it needs to be them alone and that needing help is a sign of defeat.
The Natural Genius
For the natural genius, competence is measured in terms of ease and speed. Struggling to master a subject or skill or not succeeding on the first try feels like failure.
The Superwoman/Superman
Falling short in any role — as a parent, partner, in the home or at work — all evoke shame because these people feel they should be able to handle it all perfectly and easily.
How to Beat the Imposter
Recognise that just because you think something, doesn’t mean it’s true. We have 70,000 thoughts a day and over 80% of these are old, repeated, thoughts. So you might still be carrying a belief from something a teacher said to you when you were 5 and take it for granted as truth. So become aware of when doubt, limiting thoughts, nasty critical thoughts enter your mind.
Name the critic and give your imposter syndrome a character, what does it look like, sound like, how does it talk to you. When the critical voice arises, you can say to yourself, their goes Minerva again
Challenge the critic by owning your success. Make a list of all the reasons why the critic is wrong, over exaggerating, being unkind, ignoring your wins
If you want to take this a step further, then download my most popular guide: The Imposter Syndrome Workbook. A six step method to help you overcome the nasty, critical voice in your head.
I have supported hundreds of women to overcome a sense of inferiority and step into their authentic power. Book in for a complementary call if want to beat the Imposter once and for all!
Much love
Alexandra
