Soft Skills Guide - Self Awareness - Imposter syndrome - definition and how to use it to your benefit

Impostor Syndrome – Definition and How to Use it To Your Benefit

I had no idea what Imposter Syndrome was for many years. However I clearly remember feeling like a fraud when I graduated from college. Even though I graduated with honors in Electrical Engineering, I was convinced someone was going to find out that I didn’t know anything. What was worse was I took a strategic consulting job with McKinsey. What did I know about strategy or business? Nothing. I believed that I passed the case interviews only because I got help from a McKinsey associate on how to ace case interviews and I read the Mind of the Strategist.

Impostor Syndrome Definition

I didn’t know at the time that this was called Impostor Syndrome and that practically everyone who graduated from Stanford felt it. I thought I was the only one.

Impostor Syndrome is psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.[1] Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds, and do not deserve all they have achieved.

Wikipedia

Should I Avoid Impostor Syndrome?

Absolutely not! Fast forward 25 years later and guess what? I still feel like an impostor at times. While the feeling is uncomfortable, it’s also a sign that I took a job that stretches my skills. It’s only when we feel out of our depth at work that we are truly pushing ourselves to new heights.

Mike Cannon-Brookes describes it best in this Ted Talk below. “Impostor Syndrome” doesn’t go away when we have success. On the contrary, every successful person feels it. No matter how much we have accomplished or know, we can still feel completely out of our depth. It’s a good thing. It means we didn’t stay in our comfort zone or became complacent.

Click here to watch the video.

4 Tips to Overcome “Impostor Syndrome”

While feeling like a fraud is normal, how we react to this feeling matters. If we dwell and become paralyzed, then we can get into an unproductive loop of fear and self-doubt. It can lead us to self-sabotage at work. Let’s not do this! Here are 4 tips I’m using to overcome “Impostor Syndrome.”

Tip 1: Recognize that this feeling is here to stay. If billionaires like Mike Cannon-Brookes still feel this, then we’ll also feel it as long as we’re challenging ourselves. Accept that this feeling is a normal occurrence especially at the beginning of a new job or new challenge.

What I do is acknowledge it when I feel it and move my focus to something productive. By not trying to suppress the fear, it takes less of my mindshare. Instead, I ask myself what I’m going to learn today. In the first 90 days of any new job, it’s really about listening and ramping up.

Tip 2: Be kind to myself and just keep going. Part of feeling like a fraud is feeling like I really don’t know anything. Well, that’s going to be true every time at the beginning of a new job. I find myself having a constant inner dialogue assessing how I’m doing at this new job. The frustrating answer every time is that I really have no idea.

I soon realized how unproductive this question was. It’s too early to judge. Instead, I decided to ask myself a different question: How much more have I learned in the last month? The answer to this question is much more motivating. I’ve learned a ton!

Tip 3: Talk it out. I don’t know about you but I can get stuck in a negative self-talk loop, even when I’m aware it’s bad for me. We’re all human. This is when I turn to my husband for advice. He’s my confidante and a great sounding board. Just the sheer act of trying to explain what I’m feeling gets me unstuck part of the way. My husband also asked me some great questions, such as…

Are you happy you left your last job? Yes!
Do you think someone else can do this job better than you right now? Probably not.
Does anyone question whether you should be there? Actually, no.

All logical questions. These questions helped me realize that I’m the only one putting pressure on myself at work.

Tip 4 – Listen to the coaching call on this subject :-). Coincidentally, I did a group coaching call. I find myself listening to it whenever I face this situation as it serves as a reminder to me. I hope you find this call as useful as I do.

Here’s 30 minutes of our coaching call regarding Impostor Syndrome. We discussed…

What is Impostor Syndrome?
Is it good to have Impostor Syndrome?
How to deal with Impostor Syndrome, especially if it’s incapacitating you?

You Are Doing Something Right

At the end of the day, the fact you’re reading this and feeling “impostor syndrome” means you’re doing something right for your career. You’re pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. This is the necessary journey towards success. Go for it and go with it! Also, know that you’re NOT alone. Every successful person you admire felt this at one time or another. Just keep going!

</div>

2022 SOFT SKILLS GUIDE

Course 1: Setting Your Perspective

Impostor Syndrome – Definition and How to Use it To Your Benefit