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No, You Are Not An Impostor
There are five different types of impostor syndrome.
Most of us have likely experienced it — the mind creating a recurring self-doubt narrative that suffocates our dreams and keeps us stuck in place.
We secretly worry about not being as bright, as talented or as qualified as everyone thinks we are, neglecting the fact that our uniqueness is our secret power and that being enough is our birthright.
This phenomenon is called impostor syndrome, and 84 percent of people will experience it at some point in their lives. While it is not a psychological condition or diagnosis, impostor syndrome was coined by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in 1978.
So what exactly is impostor syndrome? According to Dr. Clance, it is:
“The psychological experience of believing that one’s accomplishments came about not through genuine ability but as a result of having been lucky, having worked harder than others, or having manipulated other people’s impressions, has been labeled the impostor phenomenon.”
As leaders and positive difference-makers, we have the unique opportunity to re-think and reframe impostor syndrome. We should wisely and earnestly understand that everyone loses when we play small, when we do not trust our uniqueness and “enoughness.”
Dr. Valerie Young, a leading impostor syndrome expert and co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, has identified the following five “types of impostors” that often show up in our personal and professional lives:
The Perfectionist: The Perfectionist’s primary focus is on “how” something is done — and one minor flaw in an otherwise stellar performance is not enough.
The Expert: This is the knowledge version of the perfectionist. The expert expects to know everything; even a minor lack of knowledge is a failure.
The Soloist: Cares about who completes the task, and feels like it needs to be them alone and that needing help is a sign of defeat.
The Natural Genius: For the natural genius, competence is measured in terms of ease and speed. Struggling to master a subject or skill or not succeeding on the first try feels like failure.
The Superwoman/Superman: Falling short in any role — as a parent, partner, in the home or at work — all evoke shame because these people feel they should be able to handle it all perfectly and easily.
Dr. Young’s five types of impostors allow us to audit our relationship with our minds and our self-narrative — and with awareness and acknowledgment, we give ourselves the ability to transform.
As we remain mindful of our triggers and reactions, we also give ourselves the chance to enhance our self- and collective leadership approach. One of the keys to overcoming impostor syndrome is reminding ourselves that everyone out there is truly a work in progress. The more we acknowledge this and that life is a marathon with no finish line, we permit ourselves to show up more fully in the spaces we lead in and navigate. Know that you are enough simply by being imperfectly perfect.
So the next time the mind attempts to create a problematic scenario, let’s silence the chatter and remember our enoughness will always be enough.
It doesn’t make us an impostor ― it makes us authentically human.
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