Writing for The Leaders Council, leadership and wellbeing consultant Charlotte Wiseman recalls a discussion with Positive Psychology Coach, Adele Hawkes. Within the discussion, the two investigate the issue of imposter syndrome, what it is, and some of its easily identifiable signs.
I must admit, when I first heard the “imposter syndrome”, I was a little confused. When I heard and thought about the descriptions of what it was: basically, this lingering feeling that someone was going to work out that you were not really that good, I felt that this was just part and parcel of being human. A lot of the people I worked with seemed to feel the same. So, I was quite surprised when I discovered there was a name for this, and an assumption that some people do not actually experience it. And I have met people since who say they do not understand how people could have imposter syndrome.
Adele Hawkes explains “imposter syndrome” very well. She told me first and foremost that it is very widely experienced by people. In fact, research shows that about 70 per cent of people experience it at some time, and that is men and women, different nationalities, different ethnicities, different ages, different professions that do. So, it is quite a ubiquitous phenomenon, or Syndrome. In essence, what it is, is this feeling of being a fake, feeling like you are a fraud, this belief that you are simply winging it and that you are going to get found out at any moment.
Adele went on to explain that there was a crossover between imposter syndrome and self-doubt, and it has become something of a synonym. However, what was important to recognise was that imposter syndrome goes further, in that it is characterised by a persistent, inner narrative. So, you are telling yourself this all the time and you can be triggered particularly by certain things. So, it can be anything that triggers this stress. It can be something negative, so, if you feel that you are being stretched and challenged way outside of your comfort zone, it can trigger imposter syndrome, but it can also be around positive things, like receiving a promotion.
It is different to self-doubt, although there is crossover to it, and there are some negative connotations to it as well. It can self-handicap people, it can hold people back, it can curb their potential, and there is also this idea of chronic worrying, lots of anxiety, depression around it too.
As positive psychologists, Adele and I also discussed a positive side to imposter syndrome, and this is something that is gaining some traction. Adele mentioned that she had conducted a workshop recently where this idea really blossomed. At this workshop, a woman in attendance felt that she was definitely suffering from imposter syndrome, but that it was a driving force in her life. That is to say, that instead of holding her back, it propelled her on and gave her real momentum and a catalyst to go further, to try harder, to keep proving herself to herself, and also to the people she worked with.
Adele’s response to this was simply: “if this approach is working for you, do not change it, it is all good. If you are finding it to be a positive force in your life and you feel more empathetic, or you ask better questions of yourself because of it, then continue.”
The issue with imposter syndrome comes when it acts as a curb to your potential, when it is holding you back and making you question and doubt yourself to the point where you do not want to put your hand up in a meeting, or you do not feel that you can step into your power, or you can't celebrate your success. That is a whole other issue in itself: being able to really celebrate the things that you have done well and really feel that you have owned that success instead of discounting it as mere “luck”.
If you discount the fact that you have achieved a PhD, or you discount the fact you have achieved a Distinction in your Master’s, that is no fun. Positive psychology is all about being you. It is about authenticity and functioning optimally, experiencing everything that life has to offer. So, if you are cutting yourself off from that source of joy and happiness and pride and awe and inspiration, then that is not a good thing.
When we have imposter syndrome, it essentially acts as a barrier to being able to celebrate your own growth and the progress that you have made and replaces that with dark and negative side of “I'm not quite doing enough”. If we explore this mentality in the context of the workplace, then it can really affect things.
Adele informed me about some of the individuals she had spoken to who have been dealing with imposter syndrome, and the extent to which they were affected was largely dependent on their individual circumstances. For example, if you are faced with a challenge, which we often are in the workplace, if something feels challenging and you know you are going to be stretched, there's a big difference in the brain between approaching that problem and thinking: “oh, I am not sure if I can do that, I am going to have to really, sort of, gather my resources and really try”, and the alternatives of: “oh, I am not sure I can do that, I am going to close down because I do not want anybody to know that this is going to be difficult for me” or “I don't want to ask for help because that shows that I don't know what I'm doing”. These are the same sentiments of being challenged or stretched, but the pathways to the action are completely different.
Ideally, one wants to be in a position where one is always challenged. As humans, we love growth, we love developing and we love evolving, and these are all important things that we should embrace, rather than run away from.
