5 Types of Imposter Syndrome
“I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out," said Maya Angelou. Albert Einstein described himself as an involuntary swindler whose work didn't deserve as much attention as it had received. Both of these influential leaders of their time had one thing in common. Can you guess what that might be? It's this overwhelming feeling of self-doubt, wondering, and worrying if someone is going to find you out.
This is known as imposter syndrome. I wanted to dive into what it means to have imposter syndrome. Over 70% of people have reported having imposter syndrome at one season in their life. Whether that be in your career, in your relationships, in your social media presence, or being a mother, imposter syndrome can take a lot of different forms, but you have a choice. Will you allow the negative-self talk to be louder than your voice?
I am not skilled enough; I am not qualified enough. You have to reframe your thoughts.
Recognize that the people who don't feel like imposters are no more intelligent, they think differently. They have reframed their mindset to walk into a situation and speak eloquently and confidently in what they know and who they are.
An example of this is you were given a project last minute, and you sweated profusely putting this thing together because it was literally the 11th hour. You had to immediately go into a big presentation with a bunch of executives, and it was a success. They even tell you, WOW--that was a home run!
However, in your mind, you're thinking... Well, I appreciate the compliment, but they're just trying to butter me up, or they're just trying to feed into my ego or try to reassure me, even though I'm sure it was a flop. It's those phrases that feed into this idea of being a fraud. Even the most successful people that you know or have heard of, like Maya Angelou and Albert Einstein feel it the most.
It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, right? If you continue to tell yourself that I don't belong here, where's my fit, or I'll never know as much as that guy. You are telling yourself in your mind that you are a fraud. If you continue to believe it, it will turn into a reality. We especially as women in the workforce, and in day-to-day life have to overcome. It’s not easy, because society has told us that we have to fit a certain mold. You have to understand the conversation in your head and retrain your thoughts, you have to contradict that imposter logic. Let’s face it, no one likes to fail, or have an off day. Accept what is and understand that there are going to be good days, and there are going to be bad days. It does not define who you are.
Have you lived in fear of being exposed, not worthy of the position, or even downplayed your success, attributing it to good luck? You're not alone. Remember, you're not starting over, you're starting from experience. You have earned it, and you need to celebrate how far you have come.
According to Dr. Valerie Young, a leading expert on the subject matter, imposter syndrome manifests itself in five different ways: the expert, the perfectionist, the superwoman (man), the soloist, and the natural genius.
The expert is the kind of person who wants to know all of the information and feels ashamed when he or she does not know everything.
The perfectionist set impossibly high standards and beat themselves up when goals are not met.
The soloist believes work must be accomplished alone and refuses to take the credit if assistance was given.
The superwoman (man) you feel you should be able to excel in every role.
The natural genius believes everything must be handled with ease. Otherwise, it's just not a natural talent and has no time for it.
How do you begin to wrap your brain around combating an imposter syndrome mindset?
The Expert
You avoid unequal comparisons with people who have more experience in your role, so you hate being compared. You feel like it's natural that they know more because they have more experience. You have the skills, even if you don't feel like you fit. I'm gonna say it one more time for the people in the back, recognize that you have the skills even if you don't feel like you fit. Mentor junior colleagues or volunteer and engage your inner expert. This can be a great confidence builder. Reach out and be a wealth of knowledge for someone who's just getting started in their career, and be a source of good.
The Soloist
Expressing yourself is so important because you can easily feel overwhelmed by all the things and you need to let it out. Don’t bottle it up. Have a conversation with someone you trust that can help you find a solution. Seek out opportunities to work on projects with other people. Collaboration is key. As the soloist, your tendency is not to collaborate. Seek out opportunities to work with others because you'll be surprised at the benefits of winning together and being intentional on projects. Make a list. If you're a soloist, you've learned this will help you recognize that skills are passed down from others. People help people, so you can't do it alone.
The Natural Genius
You appreciate achievement and can get in a habit of expecting things to happen overnight. Remember how long it takes to become an expert and to pick up a new skill set. Natural ability is not the only seed for success, you have to have a strong work ethic. You need to identify specific skills that you can improve over time. This will make sure that you're continuing to build on your talents and that you're continuing to grow and develop.
A lot of times big projects can feel overwhelming. Because you're thinking, okay, how do I wrap my brain around this huge project? Well, here's a pro tip: try breaking down tasks into smaller, more bite-sized achievable chunks.
Superwoman(man)
You need to reframe failure as a learning opportunity. My mantra in everything that I do, is to seek opportunities in every challenge. Reframe your mindset. Understand that you're learning each day. You're not going to possibly know what to anticipate every single hour of the day and that's okay. Seek out an experienced mentor. Finding someone who can relate to what you are going through is crucial. Odds are you will find someone who has at least experienced this once in their life, and it's going to help you continue to grow and develop. Ask for honest feedback. You cannot take constructive criticism as a negative thing. It's a positive way to learn and grow.
The Perfectionist
Last but not least is the perfectionist, you know who you are. Focus on getting things out there. Even if they're not 110% up to your standards, you still need to relinquish that control, let go and get it out there. The world needs it. We recently had a podcast episode not too long ago talking about progress over perfection. Hone your talents and know that perfection is not attainable. Because if that's the case, you're never going to get anything out there in the world. You need to document your accomplishments to see how well you're doing. I think that's an important one. I'm doing this currently in my role. Track your accomplishments and see that progress is happening and begin setting achievable goals.
Understanding your mindset and behaviors can drastically affect your sense of self-worth, your professional progress, as well as your overall happiness. Everyone at some point in their life has a season of feeling like an imposter. It's not a one-size-fits-all with the five types. This is a tool to help you identify patterns. 32% of women identified with imposter syndrome because they did not know others in a similar place to them, either personally or professionally. And so I think that's where the mentorship piece is so crucial. As I looked at the research, as I've listened to a lot of different professionals, it has become evident that we have to actively create a culture that supports honest conversations in the workplace.
You have so much potential, so much capability, and you're doing the dang thing. So keep it up! No matter what your day looks like, no matter how big of a failure, or an imposter that you may feel at the time, you're not alone. Remember it comes down to self-awareness, reframe your mindset, find a truth-teller or mentor and begin taking steps to build back your self-confidence. Continue to persevere, work hard, count your blessings and keep it moving. I hope this conversation was helpful and honest and just know that I'm in your corner and I'm right here with you still on this journey.
