Are you one of many suffering from Imposter Syndrome? There is hope!

Do you feel as though you are not capable enough or do not deserve to have the position that you are in?

Are you afraid that people close to you may find out that you are not as capable as they think you are?

Do you often feel that your success is down to some kind of luck?

If this is the case then you may well be suffering from the Imposter Syndrome, or Imposter Phenomenon…

Wikipedia defines the Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) as a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud".[1] Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostorism incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or interpret it as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be.[2] Impostor syndrome also occurs in normal human-to-human relationships. Based on this syndrome, continuing doubts about people and individual defense mechanisms are considered difficult to achieve healthy relationships.[3] While early research focused on the prevalence among high-achieving women, impostor syndrome has been recognized to affect both men and women equally. Wikipedia

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In my coaching journey with many individuals from different industries, different backgrounds and different positions, I have quite regularly come across people suffering from the imposter syndrome. Some to a greater extent than others.  I find it to be fairly common and very concerning. I realise that no matter what people say to the individual about how well they are doing something, the person remains doubtful of their ability and their right to be in the position or situation that they are in.  Unfortunately, this syndrome creates insecurity and uncertainty, inhibits performance, growth, and development. It is something that is very difficult for a person to change on their own, as the more they think about it, the stronger the feeling gets, and the weaker they feel.

The imposter syndrome can be particularly disabling and, in most cases, promote anxiety in the individual because they are constantly waiting to be ‘found out’ or ‘exposed’ as being not suited to or deserving of the position or situation they are in.

The term was first used by psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the1970s. What’s commonly called a syndrome is more accurately known as “impostor phenomenon,” or IP. In a study of 150 highly-accomplished women, they noticed that the women frequently confessed to feeling unintelligent and unworthy of their success, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Some of the characteristics of imposter syndrome are:

• Self-doubt
• An inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
• Attributing your success to external factors
• Berating your performance
• Fear that you won't live up to expectations
• Overachieving 
• Sabotaging your own success
• Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short

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Psychology Today state that they believe that the cause of imposter syndrome can be attributed to certain personality traits, and those who experience it struggle with self-efficacy, perfectionism, and neuroticism. Competitive environments can also lay the groundwork.  For example, many people who go on to develop feelings of imposterism faced intense pressure about academic achievement from their parents in childhood.

The good news is that, with an  expert coach at your side, it is possible to work through the feelings and thoughts associated with the imposter syndrome and learn techniques to conquer the Imposter Syndrome for good.

Contact me now for assistance with conquering the Imposter Syndrome.

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