Imposter syndrome in the workplace: how to overcome it

The Corporate Swindler

As we wake up in the morning on our way to pour ourselves a nice cup of coffee and begin our daily grind, some of us encounter unwanted feelings of doubt and hesitation, which fall under «Imposter Syndrome symptoms». We may tend to feel continuous sentiments of inadequacy towards our jobs or current level of academic attainment. However, whilst today’s youth may have come to think that such feelings are abnormal, they are more prevalent than one may think, and research has demonstrated this phenomenon largely affects minorities.

Imposter syndrome, also known as Imposter Phenomenon, is marked by frequent feelings of incompotence and feelings of anxiety some people experience toward their profession, or accomplishments. No matter the volume and scope of success one with ‘Impostorism’ has had in their professional career or academia, they are still very likely to attribute it to pure luck or believe that they have simply swindled their way through.

As corporate work and Impostorism expand more into our lives, research has shown that amongst Millennials 70% tend to experience Imposter syndrome. Nonetheless, it was found to be the most common among high achieving women, racial minorities and people who identify as LGBTQ. But how does Imposter Syndrome develop exactly and why does it specifically target these groups? Let’s dive into that together and figure out a way to combat it.

Women, racial minorities and LGBTQ+

The term Imposter Syndrome was coined by psychologists Dr Clance and Dr Imes in the 1970’s after conducting several visitations with students, professors, workers and even employers themselves. Despite the numerous certificates these individuals held or the monumental of accomplishments they have obtained, throughout these visitations many were found to suffer recurring signs of anxiety and fear that they were undeserving of their current professional or academic achievements.

Imposter syndrome was found to be one of the main causes many minorities suffer from constant self-doubt and the perpetual need to seek external validation. At the time when Imposter syndrome as a concept was first being explored, the struggles of minorities faced in the workplace were not a general concern for employers or society at large.

However, after intensive research many scholars agreed that this syndrome particularly affects women, racial minorities, or LGBTQ individuals who feel unmatched to the larger part of the organization, which can increase a sense of illegitimacy. Regardless of their success, the reason behind the frequency of Impostorism could be traced back to the societal expectations and social pressure that has been laid upon minorities by a host of actor factors, ranging from struggles with an unaccommodating institutional framework and their respective communities’.

Impact on mental health

Although Imposter Syndrome itself has not been diagnosed as a mental illness, the anxiety it causes can gradually contribute to the development of a range of mental disorders. All in all, this phenomenon is detrimental to both the individual and the company. For instance, when one’s feeling as an Imposter in their workplace, it can create the incentive to repeatedly prove their worth both internally and externally, by setting unrealistic tasks and higher standards of work which if left unmet, could lead to an immense level of exhaustion and frustration.

Symptoms of impostorism

Symptoms and types of Impostorism vary from one person to another, it can surface as the consistent feelings of self-doubt or the constant need to overachieve. The syndrome was broken down by researchers to five basic types: The Perfectionist, The Superwoman/man, The Natural Genius, The Soloist and The Expert. Each one of these types was identified in distinct individuals who struggle with Imposter Syndrome which demonstrates that the syndrome could appear under different effects and various symptoms depending on the nature and traits of the individual themselves.

Additionally, the most ubiquitous symptoms of Imposter Syndrome are to continuously seek external validation and inability for one to evaluate their own work. Moreover, the creating of unsensible goals when failed to achieve, it acclimates the tendency to self-sabotage their own careers.

Managing imposter syndrome at work

Whilst the conversation about combating imposter syndrome generally falls on the individual themselves, it is ought to fall on the work environment and institutions in order to ‘treat the cause, not the symptom’.

The consequences of faulty leadership and management in our institutions today is the initial key to developing Imposter Syndrome in workers in the first place. For instance, egotism that is usually demonstrated by white cis-gender men in corporate settings, who more often than not occupy the higher rungs of company hierarchy can cause many minorities to believe that the bar is simply way too high to reach, leaving them in the pursuit of unachievable goals.

Therefore, the first step to start combating Imposter Syndrome should not be fallen upon the individual themselves, but rather on the workplace: by providing employees with realistic tasks and goals set, also, it is highly necessary for the leaders who take on higher positions in the organization to reflect an ethical way of administering and to not manifest recurrent issues of discrimination of any kind. Furthermore, when the workplace constantly reassures their workers by providing consistent recognition and validation it lessens the probability of one developing this syndrome.

In favor of our minorities of having a healthy and happy work life and boost diversity in our today’s corporates, institutions must work on addressing imposter syndrome and start taking the right measures to combat it by always making sure to adopt a healthy management and provide the needed mental health care for their employees. Thereby, we can construct a healthy structure of working and living besides decreasing the probability of large percentages of employee turnover.

What can we do to improve our mental health?

When combating Imposter Syndrome as individuals it is highly significant to acknowledge that it’s common, taking that into account you might want to talk to someone about it, a friend, a parent, a partner, all of which could help view your accomplishments and achievements from a different perspective.

It is also beneficial to self-reflect on your learning progress, this can also help recognize your development and can aid to the realization that it completely natural if you do not know everything, that you are learning and progressing daily.

Aside from that, try to avoid self-doubtful talk and self-flagellation, and instead acknowledge the fact that we as humans are constantly growing whether it is in our ordinary lives or corporate work and finally if you feel like you have unbearable anxiety and deviation in your mental health consequently to Imposter Syndrome, it is extremely necessary to seek external medical counseling.

By Nada Sharbagi – Junior People Consultant

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