Imposter syndrome: why isn’t your fault + what to do about it

Note: the views expressed in this article are solely the subjective views of its author, based on their personal experiences, and are not necessarily representative of Roar! By Laura Hamilton

After a year and a half of remote working, some people are feeling imposter syndrome more strongly than ever, and others have shed theirs as increased flexibility has put priorities into sharp relief. We’re constantly adapting to our ever-changing working environments and it’s normal to feel differently about work from week to week – even from day to day. But we still misunderstand what imposter syndrome actually is – and it can sometimes feel like it's used as a weapon or explain-all against the people it affects the most (women and minorities). Oh, you didn't get the promotion you wanted? That's because you have imposter syndrome. You need to work on that. Oh, you feel like you're being bullied? Imposter syndrome. In summary - you feel like an imposter and it's your fault! 

What is Imposter Syndrome really?

Imposter syndrome is nothing new. As a term, it was coined in 1978 by two female American academics who were trying to figure out why high-performing women in academia didn’t feel the same as high-performing male academics about their success. It was originally called the imposter phenomena because the two academics didn’t want it to become a syndrome or a problem to be diagnosed in women – look how that turned out. It’s no coincidence that the term was invented in the ‘70s, when women were entering the workforce in high numbers for the first time. In retrospect, it sounds strange to expect women to feel the same about their success in a decade where women couldn’t open their own bank account without a husband or father co-signing, where they could be fired for being pregnant, where they were excluded from certain professions more explicitly than today. Success was hard earned, but not as stable for women.

We often think, and are told by the media, that imposter syndrome is about a lack of confidence and self-esteem. However, self-doubt can be a healthy thing to have in the workplace – after all, over-confidence can lead to arrogance, group mentality and mistakes with serious consequences. It’s always good to question yourself and your decisions to make sure they’re sound. 

However, if someone feels like an imposter in certain situations (when they most definitely are not) – it's because they're being made to feel that way. It's actually quite hard not to feel like an imposter in a hostile environment that doesn’t want you to be there. 

Is Imposter Syndrome so bad?

There are some academics that believe that imposter syndrome – as in not attributing the entirety of their own success to their own abilities and acknowledging some of it is luck, support from colleagues and environment – is a good thing. It shows emotional intelligence, and a wider understanding of how workplaces, careers, and success works – it’s a team effort, not one person (usually a maverick) pulling themselves up by the bootstraps. Studies have shown that when a man makes a mistake, it’s more likely to be attributed to external factors – Martin screwed up that document because there was an IT failure, whereas women’s mistakes are more likely to be seen as an internal problem – Martine screwed up that document because she simply doesn’t understand it. Surely the same works for success – Martin deserves his promotion and has worked hard for it. Martine’s on probation to see if she can handle the new responsibility. 

As woman, we’re encouraged to ape male behaviour in the workplace – because all high performing men are successful entirely because of their own efforts, and not because workplaces and industries are geared towards men’s needs and keen to promote men who fit the mould. As discussed by Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In, one of the reasons women get overlooked in the workplace is because they aren’t as assertive enough and they’re simply not taking on enough responsibility. But as many working women know, on the other side of the rallying cry of “Be more assertive!” is “You’re too bossy!” It’s a double-edged sword. We need to acknowledge that the problem isn’t women in the workplace, it’s how we react as workplaces to women. 

Over the last few years, we have become more aware of unconscious biases against women – and minorities in the workplace. However, just like bullying in the workplace, it’s harder to identify the behaviours that lead to these problems. It’s easy to say: “I don’t condone bullying” and “I support women in the workplace” but harder to quantify exactly how you are doing – or hindering what you allege to support. It’s the difference between telling people what you value and demonstrating what you value. Unfortunately, in this world of social media virtue signalling, we often see people’s statements of support being taken at face value, while a very different story plays out behind the scenes. 

Is Imposter Syndrome: what’s next?

In terms of imposter syndrome, we need to turn our attention away from the symptoms and look at the causes. We have completely overlooked the role of environment in imposter syndrome and put all the responsibility on the individual. Workplace environment has to be part of the conversation, because imposter syndrome is about inclusivity and the behaviours that are rewarded and punished. It's closely tied to workplace bullying and psychological safety – which I predict is going to be the next big buzzword. 

In a nutshell, unless your workplace is psychologically safe – as in you can make mistakes without being penalised, you can ask questions without repercussions, you can question the status quo, and you can be your authentic self at work without fear of punitive action, unless you have all that, then you're going to create people who feel like they're imposters and that they don't belong. They’re going to question why they are in their job, why they were employed in the first place, if managers and colleagues attack, unfairly criticise, leave them out of important meetings, and talk about them behind their back.

Employees will feel like imposters if they’re not treated the same as everyone else, if they’re not supported through their careers, if they’re not listened to when problems arise, when they’re not treated fairly – but others are. Unless your workplace environment is psychologically safe for absolutely everyone, then we’re going to continue to treat some people like imposters. If you do feel like you have imposter syndrome (rather than self-doubt), don’t beat yourself up about it. Take a look at the environment surrounding you, and take note of how you feel, and react in certain situations. Most of all, remember that you belong anywhere you want to be in the workplace. 

Note: the views expressed in this article are solely the subjective views of its author, based on their personal experiences, and are not necessarily representative of Roar!