Overcoming Imposter Syndrome at Work

Imposter syndrome can be a nasty burden to bear. Those who labor under this idea believe that they’re not as competent as they look, and worry that they’re just fakes waiting to be discovered at any moment.

It may be more common than you think. According to Psychology Today, around 25 to 30 percent of high-achieving people may suffer from it, and around 70 percent of adults may experience it at least once in their lifetime. It tends to affect people who are conscientious and perfectionistic, including many people who are truly skilled and successful.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? If so, read on for some tips on overcoming imposter syndrome at work.

Try an Objective Evaluation 

One way to address the issue is to try looking at things objectively. Ask yourself: what does success in your career look like? Can it be quantified, and if so, how? What does it look like in the long and short term? What does it look like on an average day?

Is your standard realistic? If you tend to be harder on yourself than others, it may help to ask what you’d expect of someone else in your position if you managed their team.

Then, using your own measuring stick, see if you can look at your work from an impartial perspective. As you do so, avoid comparing yourself to others. The point isn’t to be competitive but to size things up against an impersonal and measurable standard.

Remember that everyone tries before they succeed. An imposter is someone who lies about their achievements or credentials, not a person with the hope and bravery to pursue success and put their best foot forward.

Recognize What You Can and Can’t Control

Not every job yields a predictable result directly proportional to your skill and effort. Many jobs involve clients, teammates, market forces, and other factors that can’t be controlled for or predicted with certainty. This is especially true of jobs that work directly with other people, who have their own lives and make their own decisions.

Those who suffer from imposter syndrome often assume that success is always possible, and any lack of it indicates a lack of skill or good judgment on their part. This might not always be accurate. While we can always control our own efforts, we can’t always dictate the outcomes. While taking responsibility and reliably looking for ways to succeed is a positive quality, blaming yourself for things you can’t control is unreasonable, and only leads to confusion and insecurity.

When evaluating your performance, instead of focusing on outcomes, focus on those aspects of the process that are within your control. This will help you see both the negatives and the positives in your work, and help to guard against both insecurity and overconfidence.

Believe in Both the Positive and the Negative

Many imposter syndrome sufferers are quick to acknowledge their shortcomings, but may have difficulty seeing positivity in themselves and what they do. For a realistic perspective, one needs to be able to see both when they present themselves.

Recognize that if you’re suffering from imposter syndrome, it’s because you think that success and authenticity are important in the first place. That’s at least two positive qualities you already have going for you.

Make it a goal to recognize both the negative and the positive in your efforts and your image. If that’s difficult for you, try envisioning what a successful effort looks like, whether it’s large or small. Then make a commitment to yourself to acknowledge it when you embody that standard in the future.

Reconsider How You Relate to Failure

Those with imposter syndrome constantly worry that their next mistake will “expose them for what they really are.” But the truth is that even the most successful people have also experienced failure in their careers. This shows us that being truly successful isn’t about an absence of failure, but about what we do with it. Could the realization that you’ve made a mistake mean something else? The answer is almost certainly yes.

Try reframing failure. Instead of seeing your experiences with it as a revelation of your true nature, try seeing it another way. Maybe it’s a learning experience allowing you to become even more skilled. Maybe it’s an opportunity to show your resilience. Maybe it’s part of an iterative process. Maybe it’s a funny story that will allow you to connect with others. Can you think of any others? If you give it a try, you may be surprised at how accurate, authentic, and useful these perspectives prove to be.

None of this is to minimize the sting of disappointment. But it doesn’t need to blind us to the truth of the rest of the situation.

Get a Little Help

No one succeeds in a vacuum, so don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Try talking to a mentor or trusted friend whose judgment you respect about your feelings. A counselor or therapist can also be a great resource. They can help you examine your imposter syndrome and understand where it comes from for you personally. This knowledge can help you see things more clearly and comfortably. You may even find that imposter syndrome was the imposter all along.

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