The impostor syndrome is so prevalent in management, and especially in fast growing startups. It takes a high-achieving person to accomplish a promotion to management and/or become hired by a rocket ship of a startup, so the feeling that you are inadequate is super prevalent.

I want to discuss what the impostor syndrome is, who is affected by it, what it looks like, what causes it, and what to do about it.

Read on for everything you need to know about what it is, and how to get rid of it!

What is the impostor Syndrome?

According to Valerie Young (in her TED talk), it’s the feeling that you’re in over your head. She defines it as “the tendency to discount or diminish your abilities.”

Wikipedia classifies it as, “a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud’.”

And in an article by the Muse, they point out that the impostor Syndrome usually strikes after a recent promotion, or becoming a new manager, or being appointed to lead a project. They say, “we convince ourselves [these events are] based on luck, timing, or other factors outside of our control, instead of embracing the fact that we’re actually responsible for having made those successes happen.”

Who does it affect?

It’s estimated that 70% of the population experiences the impostor Syndrome at one point or another in their careers.

Men and women alike experience the impostor syndrome, but women and minorities are more susceptible to it.

It can be found at all levels. New high school graduates who feel like it was an accident that their application was accepted by an Ivy League School feel it. Actors and famous directors have reported feeling it. And the higher up in an organization someone gets, the more they will feel it. CEOs are highly likely to feel like people are going to figure out that they are making it all up, and that they’ll be discovered as a fraud.

According to the Savvy Psychologist, “it strikes smart, successful individuals.  It often rears its head after an especially notable accomplishment, like admission to a prestigious university, public acclaim, winning an award, or earning a promotion.”

What does it look like?

The Savvy Psychologist identifies three primary ways the impostor syndrome shows up.

First, people tend to think they are a fake. They feel like at any moment, something could go wrong and their peers will shine a spotlight on them uncovering the fact that they’ve been making it all up.

Second, a person might blame it all on luck. They were in the right place at the right time. The timing worked out perfectly, and/or the person who made the decision is in some way incompetent. They didn’t know all the facts when they made the decision.

Lastly, a person will downplay everything. They’ll feel that if it was possible for them to accomplish this feat, then anyone can do it. It isn’t a difficult task. This group is unable to accept a compliment. If someone applauds their efforts, they diminish it.

What causes people to experience it?

There are a few different things that cause the impostor syndrome.

First of all, the way you were raised may have an effect. In her book, Mindset, Carol Dweck discusses the impact of praising children for their characteristics instead of their effort. If you continually tell a child they are good at math, and then they run into a situation where they fail a math test, their whole identity will be shaken.

Our parents thought they were doing the best for us by calling us smart, talented, and beautiful. But praising children for characteristics builds a “fixed mindset” where children (and adults) believe that they have a finite amount of that characteristic. So the adult who was told he was smart his whole life may find himself in a boardroom, not knowing what to do, and will feel like a fraud.

Secondly, if someone feels like they are the one person in the room who is different from everyone else, they are likely to feel the impostor syndrome. They are the odd one out, so they struggle to feel legitimate.

What can you do about it?

Okay, now we’re to the fun part.

By this point you now know what the impostor syndrome is, who is effected, and when it typically comes up. So what do you do about it?

It’s all in your head

The first is to realize that there’s no outside force causing you to feel like a fraud. Your thoughts are causing the feelings that you feel. It might be frustrating to learn that you are causing your own grief, but it’s actually great news! You are in complete control to change it. You don’t need any outside forces to do anything differently.

You aren’t alone

Before reading this article did you know that another 70% of the population has also experienced what you feel? The impostor syndrome is a very lonely problem, so people typically think they are the only one who feels this way. But it may help to realize that it’s highly likely that your manager, and her manager have felt the same way before. You aren’t the only one.

Two quick tricks

Two common techniques you can try right now to get rid of the impostor syndrome are 1) write down all your accomplishments and 2) tell a trusted friend or advisor about your doubts. Writing down your accomplishments and successes will help turn around your thoughts and reveal that you do deserve your success. Secondly, telling someone you trust will allow a safe space for them to point out to you the thoughts that aren’t useful for you.

Be willing to “fail”

One of my favorite quotes is “There is no failure, only learning.” Remember the “fixed mindset” people that Carol Dweck studied? Well the children who were praised for their effort instead of their characteristics developed a “growth mindset.” This means they weren’t afraid to fail. To them, everything was just a chance to learn more. You might learn lots of ways that something doesn’t work, but you might also learn lots of ways that something will work.

I learned recently from my coach, Brooke Castillo, that the thing we are most afraid of is actually an emotion. You aren’t actually afraid of public speaking, you’re afraid of feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or even disappointed in yourself if you get up and give a speech. Isn’t that interesting to consider that the worst that could happen is an emotion?

Reflect on what is causing the impostor syndrome

Doing a writing exercise to uncover what the unhelpful thought is may be incredibly effective. Do a brain dump of all the thoughts going through your head (no judgements on the thoughts, and no editing). You may find that when you see it on paper, you realize how ridiculous it is. Remember, thoughts aren’t truth. They are just thoughts.

Choose a new thought

Finally, the best thing you can do to get rid of the impostor syndrome is to change the conversation in your head. Choosing thoughts like “I’m totally capable,” “I was made for this,” “Quitting is the only real failure,” and/or “I’ve earned this moment” will be a lot more useful than thoughts like, “I can’t fail,” “I’m a fraud,” “They’re going to find me out any minute.”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’ve experienced with the impostor syndrome. What have you tried that worked or didn’t work? Is this a topic you want to learn more about?