Imposter Syndrome and Resilience

A guest article from Tony Wallace

Welcome to the eighth edition of Guest Articles, where we hand the reins of the Rag over to our community. Our community can write about whatever they want, the only requirement is that it strengthens our community or helps us achieve our goal of making Canberra suicide-free. This week we hear from Tony Wallace.

Imposter Syndrome and Resilience

By Tony Wallace

“I still have a little impostor syndrome… It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.”

Michelle Obama

“I just look at all these people, and I think, what the heck am I doing here? They’ve made amazing things. I just went where I was sent.”

Neil Armstrong

Let’s be clear at the outset – I am not suggesting that you or anyone else in the R4R Community is an imposter. You may think that you are an imposter or show some of the tendencies, which may be hurting you. Nor do I consider myself an imposter. I know people who see themselves as imposters.

When we hear the term, our response may be glib and dismissive. It was only when I started to delve into Imposter Syndrome, that I developed a better understanding. This is what I learnt.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

First, a definition:

“Imposter syndrome involves unfounded feelings of self-doubt and incompetence. You may be able to reduce these feelings by talking with people close to you or a mental health professional.”

Imposter syndrome can have a major impact on our professional resilience. In fact, a KPMG Study found that 75% of female executives have experienced imposter syndrome in their careers. The results for men are not as high, which prevents many professionals from performing at their best.

Second, leading imposter syndrome researcher Dr. Valerie Young describes five main types of imposters, which reflect your internal beliefs around what competency means to you.

1. Perfectionist – they demand perfection in everything. They are unlikely to try new things unless they believe that they can do it perfectly.

2. The Natural Genius – gifted, they can pick up new skills or abilities easily. They struggle to see that others can’t.

3. The Rugged Individualist (Soloist) – they want to work alone and consider that success can be achieved independently. They are unlikely to seek help.

4. The Expert – they become immersed in learning everything about a specific topic. They will feel inadequate if they cannot answer questions.

5. The Superhero – man or woman. You succeed in every role and push yourself to the limit. You aren’t satisfied and think that you can do even more.

Third, recognising the causes of Imposter Syndrome is important. These include:

1. Childhood environment – particularly if you grew up in an environment of high expectations.

2. Personality traits – perfectionist, low self-efficacy, high score on measures of neuroticism or low score on measures of conscientiousness.

3. Existing mental health symptoms – anxiety and depression are the main conditions.

4. New responsibilities – taking on new roles or being extended in a current role.

How to Address Imposter Syndrome

To get past impostor syndrome, start asking yourself questions like:

• What core beliefs do I hold about myself?

• Do I believe I am worthy of love as I am?

• Must I be perfect for others to approve of me?

Strategies to cope with imposter feelings include talking about what you are experiencing, questioning your negative thoughts, and avoiding comparing yourself to others.

Our R4R Community creates and offers a safe environment where people can share their stories and struggles in a non-judgemental way. If we use our collective wisdom well, we can help people to understand, address and minimise the feelings around Imposter Syndrome.  We are not suggesting that we can solve all feelings around Imposter Syndrome.

Impact on Individual Resilience 

Imposter syndrome affects individual resilience in five ways:

1. Reduced Confidence. Imposter syndrome erodes your self-confidence, making you more vulnerable to setbacks and less resilient. A lack of self-assuredness can hinder your ability to bounce back from adversity.

2. Limiting Growth. You create a fixed mindset in which you believe your abilities are static rather than something that can be developed through effort and learning. This fixed mindset hinders personal growth and adaptability.

3. Isolation. Imposter syndrome may lead you to withdraw and avoid seeking support or feedback from others, hindering your ability to build a network that can enhance resilience.

4. Stress and Burnout. The constant pressure to meet impossibly high standards can lead to chronic stress and burnout, which weakens your resilience and ability to cope.

5. Risk Aversion. If you have imposter syndrome you may avoid risk taking or pursuing new opportunities due to their fear of failure. Risk aversion can prevent you from developing the resilience that comes from learning through trial and error. You don’t learn from failure.

Building resilience involves accepting failure as part of the learning process and gradually developing the self-confidence to face challenges head-on. You can do three things:

1. Act – self-reflection and develop a growth mindset.

2. Seek support – invite mentors and support people into your inner circle of trust.

3. Share your story – be brave and share your experiences so that others may learn from them.

By coming to R4R and S4R, we will live these three ideas and build our collective resilience. With our people helping each other, we will build stronger and more resilient individuals and communities. Collective action at its best can result in a synergy in our overall resilience.

References:

The 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome (And How to Overcome It!) (scienceofpeople.com) – long but full of great resources

Imposter Syndrome | Psychology Today

Imposter Syndrome: The Five Types, How to Deal with It (verywellmind.com)

How imposter syndrome impacts professional resilience - Heidi Dening - Speaker - Author - Educator

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