Unmask Imposter Syndrome: Stop Feeling Like A Fraud And Own Your True Strengths

You have the skills, talent, experience and more to serve - shift the unhelpful self-judgments holding you back. Your people need you.

Photo by Carolyn Christine on Unsplash

I had imposter syndrome writing this article. Ha! The irony of experiencing the very issues I address in my writing often feels like a cruel joke.

After nearly a year of writing this newsletter weekly, I’ve learned to park distracting thoughts, sit with the discomfort and keep going regardless. It’s bl00dy hard, but values-based action gets things done.

This topic arose from my dear readers in our Substack chat, and I’m glad it did. Imposter syndrome is something I’ve struggled with for most of my life, and almost all the successful and smart people I know experience it too.

It holds so many of us back.

Imposter syndrome develops as we collect life’s painful experiences

Imposter syndrome develops over time as we collect unhealthy and painful life experiences. I remember a point early in my childhood, before life happened, when I didn’t have crippling self-doubt. Over the years, I collected the self-doubt and inner critic “badges” like a weird hoarder. Look at the latest one - I’ve had it on my list for ages. Tick - imposter level achieved!

It’s a pervasive issue and because we talk about it less as we become more successful, many suffer in silence believing it’s only them. Yet, more than 50% entrepreneurs and business leaders experience it, particularly in high-pressure roles and areas such as tech, executive leadership and financial services.

But there is hope, and practical solutions to break free from its grip.

What is imposter syndrome?

From the research, the term imposter phenomenon, now commonly known as imposter syndrome, was coined by researchers Dr Pauline Clance and Dr Suzanne Imes back in 1978 -that’s as long as I’ve been alive!

Not new then.

Imposter phenomenon (syndrome) refers to an individual’s feelings of not being as capable or intelligent as others perceive them to be, despite evidence of high achievement. These feelings are often accompanied by the fear of being 'found out' or exposed as a fraud.

Sakulku & Alexander, 2011

It applies to all genders (not just women, as initially thought), and leads to chronic self-doubt, fear of getting found out, and attributing success to external factors like luck.

Why you need to take imposter syndrome seriously

At some point in their careers, 62% entrepreneurs will experience imposter syndrome. The feelings of inadequacy are exacerbated amongst C-Suite executives, with 70% of tech leaders and 75% women in leadership roles report similar issues, citing it as a major career challenge. I resonate with this!

As people take on more responsibility, accountability and likely public exposure, the pressure to perform exacerbates imposter feelings and self doubt.

Perfectionism, neuroticism (negative emotionality) and low self-esteem are significant predictor of imposter feelings too. This holy triad of wellbeing concerns is a major hurdle.

What’s the real-world impact of this? From a US Chamber of Commerce study, 31% of respondents avoid new challenges due to self-doubt​. This is a lot of talent, potential and skills going to waste - 1 in 3 people drowned in anxiety, burnout, and avoidance.

One thing I can’t stand is wasted potential.

If we do nothing, this talent falls by the wayside and as individuals, we live a life half-lived, wondering ‘what if?’.

How imposter syndrome impacts the mind, body and brain

Emotions and cognitive evaluations are not fixed, hardwired responses linked to specific brain regions or circuits. Instead, they are dynamically constructed through the brain's continuous predictions and interpretations of past experiences, predictive models, and sensory inputs and internal states (interoception).

A combination of brain circuits and Predictive Processing Theory (PPT) shapes unhelpful responses when there is a mismatch between these predictions and actual sensory input gathered in real-time.

This process explains why feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt persist despite clear success. When these predictions clash with reality, such as when you succeed but your brain is still predicting failure or inadequacy, there’s a prediction error. It’s jarring and can lead to self-doubt and anxiety.

In imposter syndrome, the brain may also misinterpret positive feedback, reinforcing its inaccurate prediction that you're not good enough.

Some of the key circuits that dynamically interplay during this predictive process include:

• The cortico-limbic circuit, involving the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in regulating emotions and self-evaluation, and social feedback.

• The cortico-striatal circuit, including the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, processes reward and motivation-related activities.

• The default mode network (DMN), a network of regions involved in introspective, self-reflection, rumination, and mind-wandering. DMN activity ramps up which can increase rumination and negative self-judgment.

Chronic stress disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, reducing neuroplasticity and making it harder to adapt and learn. Our memory gets worse too.

This is how our past experiences, often the unconscious ones, and current context impact decision-making and self-assessment in the present.

Manage your chronic stress if you want to break the cycle of self-doubt and feeling like a fraud

Under chronic stress, the brain’s ability to reorganise itself (neuroplasticity) is limited, leading to structural and functional changes that dysregulate brain circuits and predictive processes.

This is why I often suggest my clients prioritise restorative activities to bring the body out of chronic stress mode. It’s harder to make helpful changes to our brain’s predictions using neuroplasticity when we have limited resources to heal.

Change is expensive - your nervous system prioritises survival versus cognitive, emotional, and energy-consuming adaptation. This is why it feels so hard and gets tiring.

By shifting your perception of stress and how you label it, you can reduce your body’s survival drive and move into a calmer state. This allows for deeper work and more accurate predictions.

The distorted view of yourself and unhelpful thinking styles keep you stuck

Sticky and unhelpful predictions show up as unhelpful or distorted thinking styles. We downplay our achievements, and overestimate our failings, leading to a self-perception which doesn’t match reality.

Common unhelpful thinking styles include all-or-nothing thinking, discounting the positives, and magnifying failures as common unhelpful thinking patterns when my imposter syndrome looms large.

Examples include: who are you to write this article? Someone will call me out because I always make mistakes. People compliment you because they’re being nice - they don’t want to hurt your feelings. And on and on…

You might have other unhelpful thinking styles in your version of imposter syndrome. It’s frustrating because when you question these thoughts, they often don’t hold up.

By consciously changing your relationship with yourself and how you judge success and failure, you’ll get unstuck as predictions become more accurate.

5 tips to kick imposter syndrome to the curb

I’ve found a combination of in-the-moment and longer term solutions shift imposter syndrome and minimise its impact.

Refocus on the strengths and talents you have to rebalance your squiffy self-perception trying to distract you from progress. Those old stories don’t serve you anymore.

Experiment with these solutions and tips:

1. Grounding technique:

   1. If you’re in a stressful situation and the imposter syndrome kicks in, it rachets up your unhelpful thoughts and self-stories. Acknowledge the feeling and notice the sensory inputs in more detail using the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique. Identify:

      1. 5 things you can see.

      2. 4 things you can touch.

      3. 3 things you can hear.

      4. 2 things you can smell.

      5. 1 thing you can taste.

   2. Mindfulness techniques like this activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing the body’s stress response and associated cortisol levels. The aim is to respond in a less reactive way to the situation or perceived threat.

2. Labelling technique:

   1. Get distance from troubling negative thoughts by labelling them and reducing their power over you. It shifts the judgment from you as an individual to something you’re doing.

   2. When you label the emotion more accurately and consciously recognise the predictive mismatch, it reduces the emotional intensity too.

   3. An example: I’m having the thought I don’t know what I’m doing. This feels like imposter syndrome so it’s not new to me. I’ll get curious about it instead.

3. Reframing unhelpful thoughts:

   1. Reframe challenges as normal parts of growth.

   2. Use evidence-based questions to query whether your negative thoughts are factual or accurate. How would you interpret it if it were happening to a friend?

   3. An example: I might feel like I don’t know what I’m doing but I have completed this successfully before so I know the ropes.

4. Self-Compassionate Talk With Action:

   1. Speaking to yourself in a harsh, self-critical tone ramps up your stress response and teaches your brain you’re under threat.

   2. Taking a self-compassionate tone, as if you’re speaking to a loved one, reduces anxiety and stress. You’ll be better equipped to manage any feelings of inadequacy.

   3. An example: It’s OK to feel this way. Many people feel like imposters but it doesn’t mean I’m incompetent. I can handle this like I have before.

5. Values-Based Action:

   1. Resist trying to ‘prove your worth’ and focus on actions aligned with what matters. Use your core values to respond in a constructive way, instead of defensively or becoming avoidant.

   2. When you take meaningful action within your control, regardless of inner discomfort, you build resilience against self-doubt and imposter feelings. Focus on responding rather than reacting, even if the stress or discomfort feels overwhelming.

   3. An example: What is the most constructive response I can make now that aligns with my core values? I want to be professional, be of service and collaborate with others.

Key takeaways

We collect unhelpful thoughts and self-judgments throughout our lives to protect ourselves from the unknown or social judgment. But holding onto these beliefs or predictions keeps you stuck in a limited life.

You have unique talents, strengths, and experiences that no one else has. Don’t waste them because of self-doubt or feeling like a fraud. Resist!

Try one or more of these tips to overcome imposter syndrome and lean into your strengths instead:

1. Grounding Technique: Use the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method to calm your body and mind by focusing on immediate sensory inputs, reducing stress and reactivity.

2. Labelling Technique: Gain emotional distance by labelling your thoughts, recognising patterns like imposter syndrome, and approaching them with curiosity.

3. Reframing Unhelpful Thoughts: Challenge negative thoughts by reframing them as natural challenges of growth, using factual evidence to shift your perspective.

4. Self-Compassionate Talk With Action: Speak to yourself kindly, as you would to a friend, to reduce stress and manage imposter feelings with self-compassion.

5. Values-Based Action: Focus on taking meaningful actions aligned with your core values to build resilience against self-doubt, rather than reacting defensively or avoidant.

As frequent readers know, start small and practice each new improvement or choice. Pick one and experiment with it for a few weeks so it beds in.

Remember, change takes effort, and if you’re already in a stressed or burnt out, it might be harder or take longer.

Hang on and keep going - I believe in you, and you will too.

---

PS: I’d love to hear where imposter syndrome shows up for you. Is it at work, home, or in other areas of your life? Which of the tips resonates with you the most?

PPS: I’m launching live art-based coaching workshops in October 2024, designed to complement the tips shared above. Subscribe to stay updated on all the details!