At our conference this month, the theme of the day was Maturity.
One session held by Sean Sankey from Much Clearer was on Imposter Syndrome, what is it and how you overcome it. In a world that often celebrates success and perfection, many individuals contend with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Working in recruitment requires consultants to network, build a personal brand and chat with a variety of people every day and it’s easy for symptoms of imposter syndrome to arise.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome, first identified in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, refers to an internal experience of believing that one is not as competent as others perceive them to be. Those suffering from imposter syndrome often feel like frauds, attributing their success to luck, timing, or deception rather than their own abilities. They fear that sooner or later, they will be unmasked and their supposed inadequacies revealed.
Common signs of imposter syndrome include:
Self-Doubt: Persistent doubts about one's abilities and achievements.
Attributing Success to External Factors: Believing that success is due to luck or outside help rather than one's own competence.
Fear of Exposure: Constant anxiety about being "found out" as a fraud.
Overworking: Compensating for self-doubt by working excessively hard to prove one's worth.
Downplaying Accomplishments: Minimising achievements or not acknowledging them at all.
It can of course effect anyone, regardless of age, gender occupation or seniority – I think most of us have experienced the feelings of imposter syndrome!
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Sean took us through a framework to go from thinking you don’t have a track record to back yourself up to having an irrefutable pile of proof that you are who you say you are.
This starts with…
1.Tenacity
‘The quality or fact of being very determined’. A ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ mindset. Understand that the more you do these things you’re uncomfortable with, the better you will get and your confidence will grow which will remove the feeling of the imposter syndrome.
2.Tribe
Reach out to people who can teach you and help you to level up. This may be other people at work who you aspire to be like or whose opinions you value. Speak up and ask for their advice.
3.Training and Tools
Now, after giving things a go and asking for advice, you know what actual training you need to aid you further.
4.Testimonies
‘evidence or proof of something’. Now you have all developed Tenacity, reached out to your Tribe and completed further Training or acquired the necessary Tools, you’re able to prove to yourself that you have the ability and evidence of this, and are not an imposter!
Of course, all of this takes time and practice, remember, your achievements are a testament to your abilities, not a stroke of luck!
