Acknowledging ‘Imposter Syndrome’
If you’ve ever applied for a promotion, negotiated a raise, or engaged in any practice that exerts your authority, the term ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is probably old news to you. But, for those of you that have been graced with ultra-supportive work environments, or are just venturing out for the first time (god speed, by the way) — let’s have a quick history lesson. Before you click the back button — I promise, it will be succinct, interesting, and honest — unlike that 3-month lesson on taxation from your 7th grade Social Studies class.
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter Syndrome can be loosely defined as the inability to have confidence in your own abilities, or to feel undeserving of your achievements.
The term was coined back in a 1978 study [1] conducted by psychologists Pauline Rose Alane and Suzanne Imes, who focused on defining and understanding this inferiority complex, specifically in women. They found that —
...Despite outstanding academic and professional accomplishments, women who
experience the imposter phenomenon persist in believing that they are really not bright and have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise... Numerous achievements, which one might expect to provide ample object evidence of superior intellectual functioning, do not appear to affect the imposter belief.- Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes
What does this mean?
As a woman, you could have all the education and accolade of Michell Obama and still think you’ve faked your way to the top. And in fact, Michelle herself has actually admitted to feeling imposter syndrome in her work. These findings spurred over 40 years of conferences and classes designed to buck-up self confidence, and push pre-written comebacks to whip out at a moment’s notice when someone inevitably asks you to ‘take notes’ during a meeting that you, yourself scheduled.
While that’s all well and good, it’s equivalent to putting a very small bandaid on a very large pipe leak, and then blaming the bandaid when you end up with a flooded kitchen. The problem is that the conversation (and subsequently, every solution crafted thereafter) has been largely targeted towards women, which ultimately, places the responsibility on us to solve it (as if we needed another thing to add to our lists, right?). These so-called solutions do little to address the root of the problem. In the example provided above, being asked to take notes in a meeting you’ve scheduled strips you of your authority, blocks you from taking up the space you deserve, and reinforces the notion that ‘someone else could do this better.’ And that’s just one example.
Ultimately, there is no single solution that individually, any of us are capable of seeking. So instead of capitalizing on women’s self-doubt and selling them the self-improvement equivalent of ‘tight tummy diet teas’ with these tired ‘girl boss’ mantras, we need to be focusing our efforts on identifying the ‘why’.
Why are women affected this way?
With a little bit of research, the answer quickly takes shape:
21%
of executives were made up by women in 2019. [2]
6%
of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies are held by women. [2]
3%
of C-suite positions were held by women of color. [3]
In McKinsey's 2020 'Women in the Workplace' report[3], disappointing, if not unsurprising data shows us that the rate of woman — particularly women of color — in leadership positions declines as you move up the corporate ladder. Of the 21% of women who held C-suite level positions in 2020 (notice, no progress since 2019), 19% were white women, and only 3% were women of color. Meanwhile, white men made up 66% of C-suite positions.
Well, well. What does this tell us? The driving-force behind imposter syndrome? ‘What is ‘Underrepresentation?’ for $500, Alec! (RIP to the King)
Why Representation is Key
Representation, I argue, is a major, if not the major driving force behind the existence of imposter syndrome today. It takes shape in many ways:
Policy: Leadership controls policy, and a lack of representation in leadership means a lack of diversity in political thought, and action. The systems in place that fuel imposter syndrome can continue to flourish and take root when left unchallenged.
Culture: Corporate culture that leans towards antiquated white-washed hiring and promotional practices again, are met with no resistance when faced with the homogenous jury we all know (and loathe) as the ‘boys club’.
Self-Awareness: It’s easier to feel confident when you see people that look like you in the leadership positions you’re pursuing, and the lack of visibility for all underrepresented people, feeds into self-doubt and reinforces the lie that perhaps, ‘success isn’t meant for you’.
This isn’t to say that straight, white, men can’t feel imposter syndrome. I mean, really — Gen Z has even been nicknamed ‘Generation Stress.’ It can affect everyone (which is a whole separate issue), but it is validated, and intensified by underrepresentation.
When you’re trying something new, success feels even more uncertain.
Imposter syndrome can be bad enough when you’re applying for a job that’s already been validated as necessary. But what about when you’re starting something new, and you don’t have that validation? How do you overcome imposter syndrome when that pre-existing demand for your idea or your skill has not been tested? As you consider venturing out on your own, the stakes increase. The risk of failure is higher, the impact is greater, and the leadership examples to follow and take comfort in are fewer and farther between. Being the first to try something, or to try something in a different way, can lead to feeling like you’re somehow an ‘imposter’ — that you don’t have the smarts or skills to justify venturing out on your own.
Pushing Forward
Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet to change the world we live in, and redefine the structures that make imposter syndrome so intense. It’s not a problem that can be solved by one individual alone.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. It doesn’t mean your dream can’t be accomplished, or that you don’t have the grit, the creativity, or the intelligence to see it succeed. It means it will be hard, stressful, tense, and sometimes uncertain, but feeling regret for what ‘might have been’ is far worse than feeling scared.
Sources
[1] The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention | Pauline Rose Alane and Suzanne Imes, 1978
[2] Why Women Almost Never Become CEO's | Business Insider, 2020
[3] Women in the Workplace 2020 | McKinsey & Company, 2020