Imposter Syndrome: What Is It Costing?

Imposter Syndrome can affect any professional, regardless of experience. Recently, when speaking with a friend who has been in her field for 25 years, she confided that she constantly fears being exposed as a fraud. Despite a strong track record, this fear prevents her from taking risks, causing her to settle for good but not outstanding results. As a coach, I frequently see high-achieving clients struggle with similar feelings. The higher the level of leadership, the more likely Imposter Syndrome is to appear.

How do I know if I have Imposter Syndrome?

Experiencing Imposter Syndrome means setting unattainably high expectations for oneself while feeling undeserving of one's role. This can lead to anxiety, over-preparation, procrastination, or attributing success to luck rather than ability. Unlike humility, Imposter Syndrome disconnects personal achievement from competence.

One form of Imposter Syndrome is the fear of success. Someone believes that achieving a new level of success will lead to higher expectations, more stress, and greater potential for failure. In essence, the people experiencing this form of Imposter Syndrome hold themselves back so that future expectations will not become overwhelming.

Effects Of Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome will often prevent leaders from performing at their best. When a leader is insecure, that insecurity ripples through the organization. Some leaders experiencing Imposter Syndrome will focus on so many little details that they become micro-managers. This is not about being detail-oriented to get things right; it is about an obsession with control that impedes progress. The difference is subtle but important. Perfectionism tends to be anxiety-driven; it reduces productivity because it means having to do work over again for trivial changes. Attention to detail is methodical and produces consistently high-quality products, while emphasizing excellence.

Some leaders are so afraid of being called a fraud that they check out and are aloof or disconnected. Some leaders become so overwhelmed by Imposter Syndrome that they do not listen to advice or ask for help due to fear of appearing weak and unfit for the position. This causes team members to stop offering feedback because it falls on deaf ears.

Another consequence of Imposter Syndrome is that leaders will be risk-averse and play it safe, which tends to stifle innovation, cause disengagement, and lower morale.

Team members working for an indecisive leader may become irritated or disengaged from work. Imposter Syndrome may reduce the flow of information, and decisions may appear to be last-minute or misaligned with a higher purpose. As morale falls, some of the best people leave the organization.

Have you ever seen this in your workplace? How did it feel? What part did your own Imposter Syndrome play in this?

How To Deal With Imposter Syndrome

Perspective is an essential part of understanding how to get past Imposter Syndrome. If someone is starting a job or role as a leader within an organization, no one expects a person to know everything and be perfect all the time. People get jobs because they have essential knowledge, skills, and the ability to solve problems. They get the job because the organization has confidence in the person’s ability to think of solutions, not because someone expects them to know all the answers. Failure is part of learning. Willingness to take informed risks and learn from failures are key part of getting past Imposter Syndrome.

Having high standards is a good thing, but perfection is an elusive standard. When we fall short of our standards, we should not view the experience as an absolute failure. Instead, it is an opportunity to examine what we can do better next time and what we learned from the experience. This point of view is called a “Growth Mindset. The author Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, describes a growth mindset as a way of thinking that embraces challenges, learns from setbacks, values effort, and sees potential for development, leading to greater achievement. In contrast, a fixed mindset fears failure because it is seen as proof of inadequacy and hinders growth. The book offers wonderful insights into cultivating a growth mindset.

Leaders experiencing Imposter Syndrome sometimes feel they need help but are afraid to ask.  These leaders don’t want to tell their boss or another co-worker for fear of being found out or demoted.  If you are experiencing Imposter Syndrome, consider working with a credentialed coach to overcome the mental blocks holding you back. Coaches are ethically bound by confidentiality agreements and are experts at asking questions that help clients discover ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome.