Leading you
Overcome Imposter Syndrome: Embracing Your Worth
By Caroline Mwazi
Following the resignation of the previous Technical Director, Kamau, a Senior Technical Manager for 5 years, was promoted to Technical Director. While delighted with the promotion, and the perks that came with it, he had doubts about whether he was the right pick for the role. He felt inadequate and constantly feared that the CEO would soon discover that she had made the wrong decision to promote him.
Have you ever felt like a fraud? Like you don’ t truly deserve your achievements, or that one day people will discover that you’ re not as capable as they think? If so, you’ re not alone. This unsettling mindset is imposter syndrome, defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the persistent inability to believe that one ' s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one ' s own efforts or skills. It is the persistent feeling of being a fraud despite evidence of competence; a psychological pattern where individuals constantly doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a " fraud ". It affects people from all walks of life, from students, new and seasoned professionals, and senior leaders, making them doubt their abilities despite evidence of their success.
Imposter syndrome was first identified by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in the 1970s, who found that high-achieving women often struggled with feelings of inadequacy. Further research has shown that not just women, but anyone, regardless of gender, background, or experience, can experience it. Rather than a single cause, several factors cause imposter syndrome, including personality traits, like perfectionism and low selfesteem, upbringing, such as constant criticism and focus on achievement, and social pressures, such as competitive environments and societal norms that emphasize achievement and success,
Comparison steals joy. Social media makes it easy to believe that everyone else has it all figured out, but the truth is that most people only share their highlights on social media. Real life is a mixed bag. Develop confidence and learn to like yourself by seeing yourself as unique, worthy and a brilliant work in progress, recognizing your achievements and strengths, together with your areas of improvement. forcing one to constantly prove themselves. Other factors, such as social media, and being different or a minority, have the same effect.
Imposter syndrome manifests in different ways. Some people attribute their success to luck, rather than skill. Others believe they must work harder than everyone else to prove their worth. Yet others avoid challenges because they fear failure will expose them as an imposter. It’ s an exhausting cycle that holds people back from reaching their full potential.
Consequences of Imposter Syndrome
Left unchecked, it can significantly affect various aspects of life, including:
Difficulty |
Accepting |
Praise |
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Recognition |
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Have you ever brushed off a compliment by saying,“ Oh, it was nothing” or“ I just got lucky”? That’ s imposter syndrome talking. When you struggle to recognize your own strengths, you dismiss the validation you receive from others.
Increased Anxiety, Perfectionism Overworking and Stress
When you constantly feel like you’ re not good enough, it creates a sense of anxiety, characterized by unease, worry and apprehension that you’ re not good enough and will be“ found out” any time. You might struggle with perfectionism and unrealistic expectations and overwork yourself to prove your worth. Over time, this stress could lead to burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress, often leading to feelings of cynicism, detachment, and reduced performance, affecting both your mental and physical health.
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