Combatting Imposter Syndrome While Managing Your Team

Imposter syndrome is a subjective experience in which an individual severely doubts they deserve success or acclaim (often despite a high degree of professional competence, abilities and intellect); that they are deceiving others and that it’s only a matter of time before they are "found out" as a fraud. Those afflicted with imposter syndrome doubt their own deservedness of their achievements and accomplishments. People experiencing imposter syndrome manifest with these symptoms:

• inability to realistically assess their own competence and abilities
• tendency to attribute their success to factors outside of themselves
• frequent berating or doubting of their own performance
• fear of disappointing others or not living up to their expectations

Which may in turn cause them to:

• chronically overachieve in an effort to "prove" themselves worthy
• sabotage themselves; set themselves up for failure to prove they are indeed the imposter they fear they are ("See, I’m NOT good at what I do.")
• constantly doubt and second-guess themselves
• overextend themselves with unrealistic goals at which they will most likely fall short (a self-fulfilling prophecy)
• agonize over even small mistakes and/or flaws on the job
• be hypersensitive to any type of criticism
• downplay their own legitimate expertise

If you identify as someone who experiences this syndrome, you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is more common than you may realize. Twenty-five to thirty percent of high achievers are likely to experience it; and seventy percent of all adults at some point in their lives.

The pervasively intrusive mindset that imposter syndrome causes can make you less confident as a business owner. The fear of triggering the unpleasant emotional state may prevent you from taking on something bold - or even something new - in order to maintain the status quo. Your team will see you less as a mover and shaker and more as a wet blanket. Constantly holding back on the reins is bound to take its toll on your overall job satisfaction. Ultimately, imposter syndrome makes your professional life chronically unpleasant and can lead to burnout.

Fortunately, there are ways to combat imposter syndrome. Here are some important things to remember as you overcome the burden of this condition:

• Focus on objective proof and let it, not your internal measuring stick, inform your professional identity.
• Adopt some "I am good enough" and some "I deserve this" mantras. The mind believes what you feed it so feed it with positive affirmations that will eventually drown out the negative inner dialogue.
• Recognize those times when you’re holding yourself to Herculean standards - not because you have to - but because you are battling an internal enemy: your own self-image.
• Avoid comparing yours to anyone else’s accomplishments.
• Come to terms with perfectionism; it’s a myth and holding onto it is a futile, energy- creativity- and joy-sapper.
• Explore your motivations for your professional drive. Question whether you really need the pressure you put upon yourself to excel in order to be successful in business.
• Seek out a mentor who has likewise battled the beast that is imposter syndrome - according to the statistic noted earlier, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a colleague to help you navigate your way through the storm.

Combatting imposter syndrome is really a matter of recalibrating your professional self-perspective. Considering how suffering with this issue can hold you back and keep you frozen, dissatisfied and unmotivating to your team, it’s worth the effort in battling this unhealthy mindset.

Have you engaged in combat with the dreaded imposter syndrome? Who won?