In an interview with 60 Minutes, Jodie Foster said she thought winning an Oscar was a “fluke.” In fact, she went as far as predicting that it would soon be taken away since it was really meant to be given to Meryl Streep. She felt the same way about having been accepted to Yale. In a 2016 Fresh Air podcast, Tom Hanks stated, “No matter what we’ve done, there comes a point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away from me?’”
Maya Angelou – poet, singer, memoirist, civil rights activist, author of seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several poetry books, credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years, and a recipient of dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees –acknowledged: “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’”
Even Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most talented individuals ever to have lived, and someone who has been considered by many art historians a “universal genius”, said, “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”
What do these highly successful individuals have in common? Despite all their accolades, they secretly feared they were terrible at what they did and were, therefore, fooling themselves and everybody else. They felt like impostors.
The “impostor syndrome” (also known as the impostor phenomenon) was first identified by Dr. Pauline Clance during therapy sessions with high-achieving women. What Dr. Clance observed was that individuals impacted by the impostor syndrome often experienced intense feelings that their achievements were undeserved, and they would be exposed as “fraud.” In a 2011 article titled “The Impostor Phenomenon”, authors describe it as the psychological experience of individuals who perceive themselves as intellectual frauds and as a result, fear being exposed as impostors. These individuals are largely successful but are unable to internalize their success. Although it is not considered a mental disorder, it is viewed as a specific form of self-doubt which is often accompanied by depression and anxiety.
Initially, this phenomenon was believed to only affect professional women. However, researchers have now found that it affects a wide range of individuals regardless of gender, occupation, or culture. It is estimated that 70% of people will experience at least one episode of this impostor syndrome in their lives. Additionally, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas at Austin, ethnic and racial minorities have been found to be particularly susceptible to impostor syndrome. In the study, all African-American, Latino, and Asian students reported feelings of “impostorism.”
Those afflicted by the impostor syndrome often experience what researchers Harvey and Katz refer to as a “self-perception of fraudulence”. This warped self-perception usually springs from their inability to attribute their achievements to their own skills, intelligence, or ability. In their minds, luck and hard work is what may have gotten them there. No wonder they think of their achievements as a “fluke.” Impostors live in fear they will be “found out.” They believe they do not deserve success or professional accolades and feel that, somehow, others have been deceived into thinking otherwise.
Impostorism is often triggered when a task is assigned that creates anxiety. Those afflicted with impostor syndrome tend to deal with this anxiety in two ways: over-preparation or initial procrastination followed by last-minute preparation. Despite the sense of relief and accomplishment when the task is completed, and even upon receiving positive feedback on their successful accomplishment of the task, these good feelings are short-lived.
Impostors deny that their success is related to their own ability. If Impostors have over-prepared, for example, they believe that their success was due to hard work, and accomplishment through hard work does not reflect true or real ability. Those who procrastinated attribute their success to luck. This erroneous perception that all success can be attributed to either luck or hard work (with no skill) does nothing but trigger the “impostor cycle” all over again.
Needless to say, impostor syndrome can seriously interfere in a person’s life. Burnout, emotional exhaustion, loss of intrinsic motivation, as well as guilt and shame about success are a few examples of its impact. Self-sabotage is another negative consequence of impostor syndrome. For example, you may keep putting off your goal of starting your own business because you don’t feel prepared enough. You may pass up a promotion or avoid applying for a more challenging position because you feel you lack the qualifications. It is important to acknowledge the impact of impostorism in our lives, not only because of the emotional turmoil it causes but also because of the many opportunities we miss.
In what ways has ‘impostor syndrome’ shown up in your life or how you view yourself, your work? In the coming weeks, I’ll share some of the strategies for overcoming this nuance and mitigating the impact of impostor syndrome on our well-being and work and what employers need to understand about this phenomenon.
In the meantime, check out this week’s Gen Y on D&I by Angelina Darrisaw, as she reminds us that we belong.
