An issue which has generated a significant amount of coverage recently is that of imposter syndrome. I started to notice the increased significance of this issue while listening to a podcast regarding the successes and failures of CEO’s in certain businesses. One of the common threads that stood out with regards to many of the interviewed CEO’s was that many of them felt some form of imposter syndrome during their career. Many of the CEO’s described having a belief that they weren’t good enough for the position that they were appointed to.
However, despite having this feeling or disbelief in their abilities, each CEO managed to overcome this issue and thrived in the work that they did because they prevailed over their feelings of self-doubt through remedies and steps which will be discussed below. As many students resume their studies or start their new work positions, the below information and steps to overcome imposter syndrome will be helpful.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome has been loosely described as doubting your abilities or having the feeling that you are a fraud. Two psychologists, Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes further described the concept as believing that you are not as bright as everyone around you thinks that you are. Statistics have shown that nearly 70 percent of people feel that they have fooled people into believing that they are smarter or more accomplished than what they actually are. In addition to the previous statistic, KPMG conducted a study that resulted in finding that 75% of female executives across different industries have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. In response to the KPMG study that took place, the KPMG U.S Deputy Chair and Chief Operating Officer stated that, “it is important to realize that most women experience similar doubts at some point in our careers”. This response highlights the fact that imposter syndrome is a universal issue that affects many people at different stages of their careers.
Some well-known and distinguished people who have experienced imposter syndrome include Howard Schultz, Tina Fey and Emma Watson. Howard Schultz, who has played the role of chairman and chief executive officer of the well-known coffee company Starbucks, admitted that many people, including him, who are appointed to a CEO role do not believe that they are qualified for the job. Another prominent figure in Hollywood who is familiar with the symptoms of imposter syndrome is that of Tina Fey. During an interview with Independent, the well-known actress has admitted that she has often felt like a “fraud” and she believed that one day she would be caught out as an imposter. Last but not least, the Harry Potter star, Emma Watson, has admitted to feeling like an imposter when receiving recognition for her acting. In a 2015 interview with Vogue, Emma Watson admitted to feelings of imposter syndrome when being asked whether her acting ability came naturally.
As seen from the above examples, many prominent people in the business and acting world feel like they are an imposter in some sense. It is important to realize that you are not alone when having doubts about your ability or current position. As we have seen, there is a high percentage of people that feel this way in their career. It is now important to look at somemethods and remedies that CEO’s use to overcoming this feeling of being a fraud.
How to Overcome Feeling Like an Imposter
The greatest way to overcome a certain issue is to look towards successful people who have done it before. The first CEO who can give us some insight into overcoming imposter syndrome is Mikaela Diner. Mikaela Diner is the founder and CEO of Reverb, a human- resources consulting firm. Mikaela has admitted to having feelings of being an Imposter and of feeling less accomplished and less relevant than other people in a similar position. In overcoming this feeling, Mikaela stated that, “Don’t say no to yourself, let other people do that for you”. The most important take-away from Mikaela in overcoming imposter syndrome is to not doubt yourself before putting yourself out there.
Another successful founder who we can look towards for some guidance is Liz Forkin Bohannon. Liz Forkin Bohannon is the founder of Sseko Designs and the author of the book Beginner’s Pluck: Build your life of purpose, passion and impact now. Liz began having feelings of imposter syndrome 5-6 years into her career after founding Sseko Designs. At this point, she began feeling as if people would eventually expose her for being an imposter in the business sector. In addition to this, she thought that people would say that she is not a real leader or that she is not a real business person as she began to develop her ethical fashion brand. In order to overcome these feelings of insecurity and anxiety, Liz revisited the earliest days of her career and she started to study the certain mentality that she had had at the beginning of her career which had helped her to resist imposter syndrome in founding her brand.
The last notable person who has overcome imposter syndrome is Michael O’Brien, Peloton’s Executive Coach. Michael began having imposter syndrome feelings when. Michael felt like he lost his identity for a few months because of imposter syndrome and he continuously wondered if he was the right person for the job. Michael managed to eliminate these feelings of losing his identity and confidence in his ability through developing an accomplishments list. Through creating an accomplishments list and through looking for small wins, it allowed Michael to change his mindset to one in which he knew that he had accomplished a lot, and that he would continue to accomplish tasks in the future.
Conclusion
It is clear that no-one is immune to imposter syndrome. There are many public figures and businesspeople that are no strangers to feeling like a fraud or to feeling inadequate. Although this syndrome is evident in many business sectors, it is particularly prevalent in the legal world. In 2019, the Junior Lawyers Division reported that 80% of young solicitors have suffered from imposter syndrome. In addition to this, a national study that was undertaken in the UK in 2018 found that lawyers are one of the top four of professionals who have experienced imposter syndrome. It is therefore important as law students to acknowledge that you are not alone in feeling like a fraud and that there are certain remedies available that can help to diminish these negative thoughts. As stated above, two important aspects to overcoming imposter syndrome include creating positive affirmations for yourself and through remembering the past accomplishments that have led you to the position you are in today.
Please see below for some more steps to overcoming imposter syndrome:
Comments