Imposter Syndrome is quite a specific and common challenge, and it is staggering to think that roughly 70% of people in the workplace suffer from it. It is not mutually exclusive to people who are unsuccessful. People who are very successful are just as likely to find it showing up.
Why does this happen?
While Imposter Syndrome is related to lack of confidence and self-doubt, it tends to lurk around the self-identity level, as in ‘who am I to…’ lead this team, talk about this topic, run this department etc. We may outwardly look confident, but inside our ‘imposter’ is telling us otherwise, and that can be hard work to manage.
The reasons for your imposter making an appearance can be multifaceted and it can be to do with:
- Early years’ experiences. Our formative years are so impactful in shaping who we are. Whether we know it or not our inner child who got told off for being too bossy, loud, opinionated, or just no good could be driving our ‘imposter’. It may also be related to our cultural experiences and where we come from.
- Exposure to toxic working environments. This can be just as powerful at creating doubt and rocking self-identity as early years experiences, particularly for prolonged periods of time. It can take a while to unpack this and build confidence back up again if this is something people have been exposed to and experienced.
- Lack of diversity and inclusion in your workplace – If you can’t relate to people around you, or if you feel like you don’t belong, that may lead to imposter syndrome, which again can rock your identity. It may also lead to you having to work doubly hard to be something that you are not, rather than feeling comfortable to be the real you.
- Perfectionism – This may be ingrained in our personality or formed in our early years’ experiences, but having impossibly high standards, or wanting everything to be ‘perfect’ can trigger imposter syndrome. This is also incredibly hard to manage.
- Comparisons – Comparing ourselves to others can lead to Imposter Syndrome and a feeling that we are not good enough or ‘if only we were like this…’. It may also make us feel that we are undeserving of our achievements as and when we are successful. As a result, procrastination may show up when starting a new challenge or taking on new tasks until we are ‘good enough, confident enough, qualified enough, like this person etc’
- A change in role – Getting a promotion, starting a new job, or becoming a parent can also trigger imposter syndrome and feelings of self-doubt. This is down to us either lacking in confidence or re-evaluating our self-identity.
- Lack of recognition – If you aren’t appreciated or recognised for your achievements and contributions, this can also trigger your ‘imposter’ to show up. Again, this can then contribute to us questioning who we are and whether we are any good.
These are just some of the reasons why your ‘Imposter’ might show up for you and we recognise this is one of the areas that may hold leaders, managers, and aspiring leaders back from achieving their full potential.
We are passionate about building confidence in professionals. Take a look at some of our courses below that aim to address this and get in touch today by either booking a call or emailing us at: enquiries@practicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk
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