Three Steps to Eliminating Impostor Syndrome

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If you’re a high-achieving professional that has ever doubted yourself and the accomplishments that you’ve made in your career, you have likely experienced impostor syndrome. First identified by scientists in the 1970s, impostor syndrome refers to a particular form of self-doubt: feeling like you’re unqualified for your current position, or that you’re a fraud or a failure despite evidence that proves otherwise. Even achievers like Maya Angelou and Albert Einstein showed signs of this phenomenon after all that they had accomplished in their lives. 

A 2011 study estimates that 70% of people will experience impostor syndrome at some point in their lifetime. Beth Andrix Monaghan, CEO and Co-Founder of InkHouse, points out that this behavior often follows high-achieving women. This is due to an inherited societal prejudice against women in positions of power, causing us to scrutinize ourselves more closely for shortcomings and mistakes. 

Since I was promoted to my current position as Marketing Manager at Mobile Defenders, there have been plenty of times where I suffered from impostor syndrome. I felt like I only got where I am because of some sort of quota for women in management positions at the company. I know that no such quota exists, and that my ability to manage projects and connect with our customer base is what got me here. Even so, I would sometimes find myself wanting to perfect every single project that I touched in order to prove to others—and myself—that I earned my place in my leadership position.

What does Impostor Syndrome feel like?

If you Google “impostor syndrome”, you’ll probably stumble across a number of links to quizzes that will tell you if you suffer from this phenomenon. Really, though, it boils down to asking yourself some questions.

• Do you feel like you’ve somehow cheated to get to the position that you are in?

• Do you feel like you’re not qualified for your current position?

• Do you feel like a fraud and that it’s only a matter of time before people find you out?

• Do you feel like you’ve gotten where you are in your career because of chance or luck?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s likely that you’ve suffered from impostor syndrome. 

Dr. Valerie Young is an expert in this phenomenon. She discovered that those suffering from impostor syndrome mainly fall into one of five categories:

1. The Perfectionist, who focuses on how something is done, and doesn’t rest until the task is 100% completed perfectly.

2. The Superwoman/man, whose concern is how many roles they can juggle at once, and measures success this way. 

3. The Natural Genius, who cares most about how and when things are completed, but also how easily this success is achieved. 

4. The Soloist, who is focused on who completes the task, and sees success in figuring things out and doing them alone.

5. The Expert is concerned about what and how much someone knows about something. They are similar to the perfectionist but are more focused on knowing everything about something.

It may not be as obvious to you which type of impostor syndrome you suffer from, and that’s okay. For me, I sometimes feel like I am a combination of all five of these personality types. Thankfully, there is a simple mindset change that can solve for any of these personality types. 

How can I overcome Impostor Syndrome?

Kara Loewentheil offers a great three-step process for dealing with impostor syndrome, but first, she explains what doesn’t solve impostor syndrome. Things like validation from others may provide some initial relief, but are typically immediately self-discounted. Additionally, telling yourself positive things like “I am really great at what I do” doesn’t work long-term when you don’t really believe it.

Kara’s solution requires victims of impostor syndrome to rewire their brain and their thoughts to gradually boost their self-confidence. Here is her three-step process, which she calls the Thought Ladder:

Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash

1. First, pick one thought that you have about yourself. This can be something like “I am unqualified for my job” or “Everyone else in my department is so much smarter and more successful than me.” Stick with only one thought at a time, and put this thought at the bottom of the ladder.

2. Second, brainstorm your Goal Thought, or what you wish you really believed about yourself. Think of something like “I earned my way to this leadership position” or “I am just as successful, if not more successful, than everyone else in my department.” This Goal Thought goes at the very top of your ladder.

3. Lastly, think of thoughts you can start to believe right now. These can be a bit more neutral, but they help you work your way to believing your Goal Thought. These thoughts can be things like “I just had a really positive performance review” or “My supervisor promoted me to this position because I work hard.” These thoughts don’t have to make you feel incredible, but they can help you feel better than the thought at the bottom of your ladder. Think of them as a bridge between your current thought and your Goal Thought.

You can repeat this process with as many negative thoughts that you have. Write down your Ladder Thoughts where you can easily remember them, such as on your bathroom mirror or as a reminder on your phone. 

I had been a victim of the impostor syndrome without even realizing it. Even when I would receive praise and positive feedback from my peers and supervisors, I still struggled with believing that I was truly deserving of the praise. It helped to finally understand that this behavior is not only common amongst other professionals, but that there are steps that I can take to combat it. 

If you think you might have impostor syndrome, you’re not alone! Follow Kara’s three-step Thought Ladder process, and remind yourself every day that you’re better than your mind might have you believe.