202205022104 - Imposter syndrome

Definition

“The psychological experience of believing that one’s accomplishments came about not through genuine ability but as a result of having been lucky, having worked harder than others, or having manipulated other people’s impressions, has been labeled the impostor phenomenon.”

History

• Impostor syndrome was coined by clinical psychologists & Dr. Pauline Clance and & Dr. Suzanne Imes in 1978

Research

& Dr. Valerie Young, a leading impostor syndrome expert and co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, has identified the following five “types of impostors” that often show up in our personal and professional lives:

1. The Perfectionist: The Perfectionist’s primary focus is on “how” something is done — and one minor flaw in an otherwise stellar performance is not enough.
2. The Expert: This is the knowledge version of the perfectionist. The expert expects to know everything; even a minor lack of knowledge is a failure.
3. The Soloist: Cares about who completes the task, and feels like it needs to be them alone and that needing help is a sign of defeat.
4. The Natural Genius: For the natural genius, competence is measured in terms of ease and speed. Struggling to master a subject or skill or not succeeding on the first try feels like failure.
5. The Superwoman/Superman: Falling short in any role — as a parent, partner, in the home or at work — all evoke shame because these people feel they should be able to handle it all perfectly and easily.

• "One of the keys to overcoming impostor syndrome is reminding ourselves that everyone out there is truly a work in progress. The more we acknowledge this and that life is a marathon with no finish line, we permit ourselves to show up more fully in the spaces we lead in and navigate. Know that you are enough simply by being imperfectly perfect." –- The Daily Coach