Overcoming the Fraudster Within
Do you ever experience feelings of self-doubt, fear of being found out, the experience that you are "winging it" and despite success never feeling really satisfied with your accomplishments?
You do? Then welcome to the club! You are one of the 70% who experience the feelings of ‘impostor phenomenon’. Some would go further and say that nearly everyone experiences these feelings at some time, not so much when we are washing the dishes, but more when we are stretching ourselves stepping out of our comfort zones.
Impostor phenomenon (IP) is a recognised set of feelings and thoughts that the majority of successful people experience. It can hold us back, and stop us fulfilling our potential or enjoying our successes. With the ever increasing demands of the fast changing and high performing workplace, is it any wonder that IP is alive and well in most (if not all) organisations?
Whilst commonly experienced by men and women, a sense of belonging builds confidence and is a good antidote to IP. This means that anyone who is part of a minority group is likely to be more vulnerable to these feelings, hence IP’s impact on senior women in the workplace. Not only a minority at senior level, women also still have the added (usually implicit) demand to fulfil societal expectations around caring for home and family as well as other gender role stereotyping and messaging. Spinning so many plates leads to further internal conflict, feeding the internal critical voice that fuels IP. Add to this that men tend to be raised to talk about their successes and express themselves confidently, whereas for women talking about achievements equates to bragging.
High achievement cultures are a breeding ground for IP. A common survival strategy of putting on a front and pretending to be confident, builds a facade and tends to exacerbate the negative feelings. Yet shame and fear of mockery holds us back from sharing authentically. So what can be done to counteract it?
Antidotes can include:
Internal support through mentoring where leaders who have "been there, done that" can share their experience and provide empathetic listening, guiding their mentees with advice for what works in their particular organisation.
The creation of women’s or other minority networks encourages social support from peers, reduces sense of isolation, and acts as a buffer to the feelings of uncertainty.
Building a culture of acknowledgement, leads people to feel at ease and freer to express concerns and be themselves.
Psychologically based coaching focussed on changing our limiting thoughts and beliefs, which ultimately influence how we feel.
Finally there is good to be found within every cloud. Where IP is present, so is a healthy level of emotional intelligence. To be conscious of our self-doubt and anxieties indicates a positive level of self-awareness, which drives us, keeps us real, and in touch with our humanity. All these are pertinent leadership qualities, absolutely necessary and relevant to today’s workplace. The skill is to keep a sense of balance and not allow our internal fraudster to completely run the show.