Pulling Back The Mask On Imposter Syndrome
What do Emma Watson, Cheryl Sandberg, Maya Angelou, and Michelle Obama have in common? Besides being strong, influential leaders, renowned in their respective fields, these women have all spoken publicly about imposter syndrome. In fact, 70% percent of professionals have admitted to feeling like an imposter, according to a study from The International Journal of Behavioral Science.
“Imposter syndrome isn’t a disease, it’s a normal response to internalizing impossibly high standards. Doubting yourself doesn’t mean you’re going to fail. It usually means you’re facing a new challenge and are going to learn.” –Adam Grant.
Here’s how it works: You’re assigned a new project at work. There’s a bit of anxiety and excitement. You over-prepare or get lost in research. You stress about the project and look for ways to procrastinate or avoid it until the very last minute. You’re a rockstar though and committed to your job (or you just like to pay for you housing and maybe some groceries) so you pull it off and make it work.
Your boss/peers love it. You get a brief sense of accomplishment, praise. Peak adrenaline. Then the doubt hits. You find yourself thinking “ I must have got lucky this time,” or “ If my other coworker had done this project, it would have looked much better.” You carry these thoughts over into your next project and the cycle continues.
Real talk: This is not a new feeling to me. In fact, when I received my current position, my response was “ Are you sure?” There were candidates with more formal education, more qualifications, surely more deserving? My team is amazing, supportive, and encouraging and I now feel like I belong and deserve to be here, but there was a moment at the beginning where I felt like I wouldn’t hold up to my own impossibly ambitious standards or that every mistake while learning my job was just evidence that I would fail. It’s not often, but sometimes, this feeling comes creeping back in.
Example: This article almost didn’t get written. I authored an article for Women’s History Month last year on female contributions to optics. I received outstanding feedback on the article, I spent a good amount of time researching and had a blast doing it. So, I volunteered to write this one as it’s a topic I am familiar with and have researched. Despite having a long timeline, I held off. What if it wasn’t as good as the last one? What if my research isn’t accurate and the topic doesn’t resonate? What if the last article’s success was just a fluke? What if I don’t do this topic justice? Suddenly, it’s the night before my deadline and I have pages of research and…nothing on paper.
So, what do we do? Well—spoiler alert—this article did get written. I used Brené Brown’s advice: Give yourself permission to write a messy first draft: Just get something down. It can be disjointed, disorganized, and a disaster, but just put something on the page. Then go back and finesse. This advice always works for me because it eliminates the pressure I put on myself to be phenomenal.
I sourced more ideas to combat imposter syndrome, from experts and other women in optics:
Recognize and name the feeling- “ I am feeling anxious about this project because I care about it’s success.”
Remember that you are not alone- TBH, being in a group with Michelle Obama, Emma Watson, Maya Angelou, and other accomplished women isn’t the worst club to be part of. Most people have moments of doubt, it’s normal.
Conquer fears in the moment—Just jump in. Do something that scares you a little and use that to build confidence. Remember that feeling of success and accomplishment each time you feel like you can’t do something.
Set realistic goals- Set yourself up for success. Break large tasks into manageable chunks and celebrate each small win—you deserve it!
Visualize successful outcomes—Fast forward to when you’ve done the thing. Everyone is happy with your work, you’re proud, confident, and ready to conquer the world. Use that mental image to keep you going.
Reimagine setbacks as learning opportunities—Thomas Edison said it best, “ I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
Talking about it with others and sharing your own tips, experiences and strategies can help you recognize the signs and feel less alone. I debated about including my personal experience in this article because I wasn’t sure I was comfortable sharing it—See tip: Conquer fears in the moment and add a check mark for me today.
In fact, 85% of women surveyed in a study by Harvard Business Review say they don’t talk about Imposter Syndrome for fear of looking weak. However, 75% of female executives in this same study admitted to having these feelings. It’s common, especially among high performing women and the more we can name it, share it, and discuss it, the less power we give to it and the more we can normalize it.
I once talked about this very topic in a meeting with over twenty women. Every single one of us admitted to feeling this way at one point, and every single one of gave words of encouragement, support, and affirmations that we deserve the accolades, praise, and recognition.
One thing to remember: If you’re invited to the table, you belong at the table. Feel free to borrow and adapt my mantra: “You have talent, you are capable, and you belong.” Repeat as needed.
Written by: Nicole Joli