Have you ever felt that you can’t actually do your job well and that someone will find out? Or that you’ve only got to where you are through luck and hard work rather than your abilities?
This is known as Imposter Syndrome and you maybe surprised to hear that 70% of women struggle with it in some form. It’s also found particularly in high-achieving and perfectionist women.
The positive side is that if you recognise these feelings, you are probably very successful. The negative side is that you may be allowing your fear of being a fraud to stop you achieving even greater success.
Am I The Only One Feeling This?
Many businesswomen such as Liz Bingham, managing partner of Ernst and Young and celebrities such as Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet suffer from these thoughts. Kate famously said; “I’d wake up in the morning before going off to a shoot, and think, I can’t do this; I’m a fraud.”
So where does this syndrome come from?
Well, a lot of these feelings are formed in our childhood. We pick up beliefs and messages from our families, school, and society, about the world and ourselves.
The messages we absorb are often illogical because we see them through a child’s mind. However some of them we believe, hold on to and then go on to reinforce them throughout our lives.
The types of messages vary but can be things like:
“I’m not good enough”
“To be loved and secure I mustn’t upset anyone’
“Other people are more important than me”
The problem with these beliefs is that they can stop us taking up great opportunities and hold us back from speaking up with our thoughts and ideas.
It’s natural to have some occasional self-doubts about your abilities but if you find these fears are regularly affecting the decisions you make and the actions you take, then it’s time to tackle them.
4 Steps To Banish Imposter Syndrome
Step 1 Be aware. Notice when these doubts appear, what is the situation, what were you thinking? Once you’ve identified your triggers you can be prepared.
Step 2 Acceptance. You are always a work in progress and you don’t have to be the best, just the best you can be.
Step 3 Authenticity. Be true to yourself by knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Then show compassion to yourself about the areas you find more difficult. Take time to reflect on your successes and to own them. It wasn’t just luck or hard work that made you successful; and no, not anyone could have achieved what you have!
Step 4 Courage. Don’t let your fear of being a fraud keep you hidden in your comfort zone. Ignore the doubtful voice and take the confident step to go for challenges, knowing that whatever happens, you can cope with it.
If you follow these four steps you will achieve so much more than you would if you stayed stuck in an imposter rut. You’ll also become truly successful, whatever that means to you.
You can get more ideas on how to become confident and visible in your career by watching my FREE webinar ‘Double Your Impact At Work’. It’s only available for a limited time, so don’t miss out, register here!
Why not also read 9 of the best self-care podcasts if you’re feeling stressed or overworked or 17 powerful ways to build your self-esteem.
Bio
Jo Painter is the UK’s leading Career Impact Coach for professional women. She is the founder of Confidence Coaching For Women and has a passion to advance the careers of professional women and women in business.
www.confidencecoachingforwomen.co.uk
jo@confidencecoachingforwomen.co.uk
