The Communicator
I have been speaking a lot over the past week about how to overcome Imposter Syndrome.
During each session, I was met by a very engaged audience, eager to share their experiences and enthusiastic with their questions.
I thought, “Eureka! I know what I’ll write about this week. I’ll write about that emotional wave of self-doubt, that mental flicker which claims your past achievements are merely a fluke, that shudder-inducing, comparative moment when you feel everyone else but you has it all figured out. I’ll write about Imposter Syndrome.
But when I did a quick search, I realised I had already written about it in a previous column in 2018. So I thought maybe I had better not write about it again.
That shudder-inducing, comparative moment when you feel everyone else but you has it all figured out. Pictured, Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada
However, I have now officially re-decided I am writing about it. So, buckle up and please keep reading.
Since the term, which was initially described as ‘Imposter Phenomenon’, was first identified in the 1970s by two Georgia State University researchers studying high-achieving female professionals, the amount of content around the topic has grown and grown.
When I google, “Imposter Syndrome Book”, for instance, I got nearly three million hits. More and more of us are becoming aware of and interested in the topic and want to learn how to deal with it. My having written one column five years ago clearly wasn’t enough. Which brings me to my first point:
When I last wrote about Imposter Syndrome, I noted research which stated about 70pc of us claim to have felt that specific moment of self-doubt.
A more recent survey from KPMG has moved the figure up to 80pc. And yet, many of us may still be afraid to share that we have experienced this.
When I mentioned to a coaching executive client of mine that I was presenting on this topic, he nearly whispered that, despite his role as a legal adviser to the mighty Mattel corporation, he occasionally felt it too.
There’s nothing to be ashamed about. Even Paul McCartney, despite his decades of fame, claimed during an interview on the US news programme, 60 Minutes, to have experienced it.
The point here is that Imposter Syndrome needs to be normalised. And once you accept that you are not alone, you can:
There are a number of generally accepted situations that may push you into a moment of feeling like an imposter.
And, by the way, I keep using the word “moment", because, if as you read this, you are feeling chronically insecure, that may be a symptom of something more serious.
Imposter Syndrome is not an ongoing disorder or mental illness. Be aware of that.
Also, the more you can stop to rationalise where the feeling is coming from and seek to understand and unpack the trigger, the more control you can regain.
For example, being asked or even volunteering to take on a new assignment or project is a common trigger. The uncertainty around the task can make our insides flutter. So too, can a judgmental comparison of ourselves with colleagues.
Especially if that judgment or observation comes in the form of an off-hand comment or direct feedback from a supervisor. Be on the lookout for your workplace culture and environment.
If you still work in a place where communications styles are not thoughtful and inclusive, it’s no wonder you may be hit with questions about your self-worth and abilities.
Once you understand the reasons you may be feeling this way, you can begin to do more contextualising and less personalising.
Instead of allowing a thought like, “I have never done this before” linger in your mind, neuroscientists encourage you to immediately disrupt the thought with positive reframing.
Try replacing the negative thought with something like this, “I am confident I have the skills to figure this out” or “I know someone I can go to for advice.”
Like most forms of self-development and growth, this reframing technique requires effort.
I encourage you, right now, to stop reading (for only a minute, then come back to me) and write down three positive reframing lines you will keep handy. Repeat them aloud daily.
Years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote a best-selling book entitled Blink in which he spent a lot of time telling us how we should trust our gut. Today, I’m here to tell you the opposite.
The emotional gut-punch that is Imposter Syndrome is a liar. It is not based on facts.
If you remind yourself that it affects nearly everyone, is caused by a range of understandable triggers, and can be reframed by purposeful, positive self-talk, you will be more likely to take that next step regardless of how you feel.
Track your progress. Make sure to look back over your shoulder and acknowledge that it hasn’t all been luck, timing or contacts.
The missing piece in that equation is you. It’s the first Sunday in March. Keep marching forward into the next successful chapter of your life.
Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie. With corporate clients in five continents, Gina London is a premier communications strategy, structure and delivery expert. She is also a media analyst, author, speaker and former CNN anchor.
@TheGinaLondon
