DEVELOPMENT
THE EXPERT
Darren , a behavioural scientist and peak performance specialist , is a speaker , trainer and mentor to senior leaders wanting to master their mindset . With a background in psychology , elite sport and entrepreneurialism he has authored seven books on the topics .
According to a 2020 KPMG study , imposter syndrome affects approximately 75 % of female executives . Males don ’ t appear to be as affected by it as much – a Workplace Insights article from April 2023 puts it only at 12 %, while others put it as high as 20 %. Interestingly , one of the reasons cited for the lower stats for men is their reluctance to talk about it . Surely that ’ s a sign of imposter syndrome right there !
Most strategies fail at overcoming imposter syndrome Did you know that the process ( right ) is automated and can ’ t be changed ? Your brain chooses the thoughts it believes will give it the most accurate assessment of the situation . By the time you realise you want to have different thoughts you ’ re too late .
And this is why most actions for overcoming imposter syndrome fail . When you are told to think differently , you are trying to replace automatic thoughts with manually generated ones . You will always lose with this strategy .
A strategy that works The only reliable way to move away from imposter syndrome is to work with the sensations the brain sends to the body in relation to it . We work with them by experiencing them and paying attention to them , all without reacting .
Here ’ s how it works … When you feel the sensation in your body that causes you to feel as though you are an imposter , give your 100 % close attention to the sensation . Don ’ t have any thoughts about it at all . If thoughts come up , ignore them and go back to the sensations , even while the thoughts scream loudly in your head . Just focus on the sensations . And here are some rules to remember as you go :
w Don ’ t make the sensations wrong by thinking : ‘ I should feel more confident ’. w Don ’ t justify them by thinking : ‘ I have a right to feel this way ’. w Don ’ t try and own them by thinking ‘ I always feel this way in these meetings ’. w Don ’ t label them by giving the sensations a name like ‘ nervousness ’. w Don ’ t try and suppress it by ignoring the sensations .
In short , just pay attention to the sensations and see what they do .
Nothing lasts forever When we pay attention to the sensations , we are giving them an opportunity to deactivate themselves . They do this naturally and without any effort from us . Just let the sensations rise then exist for a period of time ( it will usually be less than a minute ) and watch as they subside .
When they subside they are deactivating themselves and they will then be gone . When they are gone , they can ’ t bother you again . You will then be free of the imposter syndrome . S darrenfleming . com . au
What is imposter syndrome ?
“ Regardless of the accuracy or otherwise of the belief , imposter syndrome is experienced as a sensation in the body . You don ’ t feel good enough for the job . You feel as though you ’ ll be found out as a fraud and then kicked out . That would be so humiliating !
These bodily sensations are the end result of thoughts that we generate when we encounter the situation in which we feel like an imposter . It plays out like this :
A You ’ re sitting in the boardroom with your ELT colleagues waiting for the CEO to arrive and the meeting to start . You see your colleagues as they ’ re doing their thing .
C As you observe the scene , your brain interprets the signals from your senses and assesses what it thinks is happening . Part of this assessment includes drawing on memories that are not part of the current scene but are given importance as though they are . This assessment then becomes about what it thinks is happening , not what is happening .
D Based on the assessment of the scene and memories it has decided to include , your brain might conclude that you are not good enough to be in the room because everyone else looks , acts , or sounds more qualified than you to be there .
B If your brain concludes that it doesn ’ t like what ’ s in the room , it will send a signal to your body that you find undesirable . You may even label that sensation as nervousness or anxiety .”
Winter Issue 2023 | Executive PA 53