Photo by Salomon Byuma for Pexels

From Doubt to Drive: Handling Imposter Syndrome at Work

“I’m just lucky”

“I”m so nervous right now”

“Can I really do this?”

“Why did I mess up again”

“I don’t belong here”

If you ever have these thoughts, you are not alone. Around 70% of people experience impostor syndrome at some point in their career. It doesn’t matter where you are currently in your career, whether you’re starting your first internship, your first big job, or you’re mid-level or above. Dealing with impostor syndrome is challenging, but not addressing it can lead to further problems down the road, holding you back from your career and aspirations.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

The term ‘imposter syndrome’ was initially introduced by psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in 1978, who described it as an “internal feeling of “intellectual phoniness”. This can lead individuals, especially high-performing women, into believing that they are fooling others and are not deserving of their careers despite prior stellar performance or accomplishments. Not only are you dealing with this feeling, but it can lead to serious consequences. According to Science Direct, it’s linked to lower confidence in career planning, greater difficulty in making career decisions, and higher levels of burnout. Feeling imposter syndrome at work can stem from high-performance pressure and factors in a workplace environment such as high competition, self-comparison, and fear of evaluation. According to a 2019 study, it was found that 20% of women are the only person of their gender, and this percentage rose for women of color to 45%. Another 2024 study found that only 4% of women of color hold current C-suite positions. Such studies exemplify another aspect that leads to feelings of imposter syndrome — being unable to see yourself in the corporate room.

Helpful Strategies for Imposter Syndrome:

​Don’t Avoid It!

When thoughts of self-doubt swirl in your head, it can be very easy to either suppress or ignore these emotions of self-doubt. Doing so is more harmful in the long run because you are avoiding confronting these feelings; just ignoring this feeling is not going to make it go away. It may silence the voice in your head for a little while, but soon you can hear it again. Facing your emotions and acknowledging how you feel in the present moment can help you understand that this is an emotion and not the truth about your abilities. Therefore, making room for you to start your first step in breaking its hold over you.

​Log your Successes

It is very difficult to have constant thoughts about past mistakes or ‘failures’ that pop up throughout your day at work. However, hyperfixating on these thoughts keeps you in a frozen state, preventing you from taking the next step, such as refocusing on your current tasks, setting small goals for the day, or reaching out to a colleague for support. Having an inner voice that keeps reminding you of your mistakes or past failures leads to doubting your skills and capabilities, resulting in reduced self-confidence.To avoid this, create a place where you can log your successes or wins. Whether that’s delivering an important presentation, contributing to that important meeting, or launching your first project. Completing these tasks can be rewarding and move you forward rather than keeping you stuck in the past.

​Having a Supportive Circle

When you feel invisible in the room and not represented, it can be harder, especially for women of color, to feel comfortable and confident when navigating gender and racial bias. It becomes important for you to find either a mentor who can help support you or join a community catered towards professionals that can be at work through ERGS (Employee Resource Groups) or a different community, such as Emboldly, which strives to have and support more women in their careers and be leaders.

​Taking Ownership

It is important to be vocal and show ownership over your contributions and achievements. When talking about what you did, saying “I” is more powerful than saying “we” on your own individual contributions. As women often have their achievements being downplayed to just luck and teamwork. By taking ownership, you are reinforcing your own self-confidence and trust in yourself.

​Imposter syndrome makes us work in doubt, but by possessing the right strategies and tools, you can help manage and even overcome it.

For more articles like this, visit medium.com/emboldly.