Law #14: CONQUER THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Imposter syndrome involves significant self-doubt about your abilities and accomplishments that leads to feeling like a fraud. Those feelings can cause debilitating anxiety, procrastination, or over-preparation when presented with a new project or task. If you succeed at the said task, you may feel you were just lucky or that someone could have done better, which may increase self-doubt, anxiety, and feeling like a fraud. If you failed at the said task, that failure (or perceived failure) could reinforce the feeling that you are a fraudster with the same impact as if you had succeeded at the task—feeling that someone else could have done better, increased anxiety, and a heightened sense that you’re a fraud.

These impacts of the psychological effect of imposter syndrome can have severe financial implications on your life. Learn how to recognize it by seeing the signs and triggers to achieve a genuine, authentic sense of success and your full potential in your field of interest.

Category 1: You are perfectly qualified but feel like a fraud. This category represents the primary definition of imposter syndrome when that term drops in public discourse. Individuals impacted have provable, established accomplishments, a bedrock of knowledge, and justified experience to achieve a task. Of course, learning is lifelong, and no one has acquired the complete expertise available in any subject; nevertheless, there is a point where people reach a stage of justifiable qualifications to handle a task or qualify as an expert. If you are there yet still feel like you are a fraud when doing work you are perfectly equipped to handle, this is likely a clear-cut case of imposter syndrome.

Category 2: Someone tapped and is mentoring you to fill the shoes you are already in—maybe a little early—and feel like a fraud. This next category is not discussed as often as the previous category, but we think it is important to address. Sometimes incredible mentors value the exponential growth that comes from strategically struggling through issues and problems that stretch you and help you grow. In careers and entrepreneurship, you often can’t focus only on the things you know how to do perfectly well. Sometimes, quality work and leadership require pushing through problems that demand research, consulting with mentors, and even getting things wrong that others who are perhaps better qualified may have gotten right. If you are in a strategic situation like this and feel like a fraud, you could be dealing with imposter syndrome.

Other: You’re a fraud, and instead of feeling the impact of imposter syndrome, you are actually an imposter holding together a sham lifestyle or operation. No list of options about imposter syndrome is complete without acknowledging that what some people feel is not imposter syndrome, but instead, relevant, deserved fears of being exposed as a fraud because they are frauds. Some individuals present themselves in dishonest ways. Some engage in nefarious or poorly intentioned behavior to get what they want, regardless of its impact on others. When referring to a person, a "fraud" is someone who intends to deceive others, typically by claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities without justification. If this term rightly defines you and your behaviors, you’re not dealing with a case of imposter syndrome. You are living the life of an imposter. Noting this may seem harsh, but it shouldn’t. There’s no judgment here but rather a desire for individuals to diagnose situations appropriately. One of the most critical steps in problem resolution is accurately identifying a problem. If you live the life of a fraud, convincing people of accomplishments that don’t exist or boast enormous achievements out of unremarkable ones to score wins, no amount of self-help for imposter syndrome will help you. Instead, you must dig deeper to understand why you engage in manipulative behavior. Note that this category ranges massively from the person who keeps up impressions of nonexistent means (think keeping up with the Joneses) to someone who misrepresents themselves in romantic or platonic relationships (like Rachel Dolezal claiming to have been born African American when she was born white or footballer Manti Te’o’s famous catfishing incident where his online “girlfriend” defrauded him by presenting someone else’s photos), to the individual who misrepresents returns in a stock portfolio to secure investments (think Bernie Madoff’s multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme or Gina Champion-Cain’s $400 million real estate fraud). This range is quite vast, and not all frauds are created equal. Indeed, some are far (far!) worse than others, some even criminal, but at the root, all are deceptive and ultimately will not help the fraudster achieve and sustain their ultimate end goal.

Figure out which category you fall under, and make a strategic plan. Here are some suggestions for each of the three categories we addressed. Note for best use: regardless of the category you fall under, read all three because they reference each other. 

• Category 1: People in this category have lost sight of, or perhaps never even understood or valued, their incredible accomplishments and skills fully. If you are in this category, it may help you to do an audit of your qualifications and achievements. Make a detailed list of the qualifications, education, credentials, and experience that prepare you to do what you are doing. Once you have that, don’t expect the list to prepare you perfectly for everything you may encounter. Instead, make a second list of additional qualifications, training, education, or experiences that you can obtain to help you be even stronger in your role.

• Category 2: If you are in the second category of “imposters,” there’s a good chance that you have a mentor or leader strategically placing you in the situation to stretch you for growth. Talk to them. Attempt to understand their plan for you and investigate the resources they have put in place to get the additional training and experience you need. Also, compare yourself to someone in school or college. If you are studying, chances are good some of the learning material may feel challenging or stretch your current capabilities. Nevertheless, you embrace that stretch because it is why you are in school in the first place—to enhance your abilities. The struggle is not because you are a fraud. No one expects you to handle everything perfectly at this stage in your development. If you encounter experiences that make you feel unqualified for the role someone has placed you in and didn't earn the placement by dishonest measures, make both lists from category one and use them similarly. Settle in and enjoy the ride, appreciating where the occasional struggle will take you.

• Other: If you are selfishly defrauding people to get what you want in your own best interests, stop doing that. The sooner you stop doing that, the sooner you will stop feeling like a fraud. But make no mistake, if this is you, you are not dealing with imposter syndrome. You’re simply feeling the effects of being an imposter who walks in shoes you claim are yours but that really are not. Now, if you are a fraud, you probably know you are. But for anyone who may have gone so deep down the rabbit hole that you are unsure what reality is, do the qualifications audit from category one. If you struggle to do this, seek help from a qualified source who understands the area of expertise you are evaluating. If you genuinely do not have relevant qualifications or capabilities or inflate achievements in an unwieldy way, you may be acting like a fraud. Again, no judgment here; however, you can’t fix a problem that you can’t diagnose or diagnose incorrectly. If you are indeed a fraud and are attempting to resolve the feelings of being an imposter, the work you need to do is different than someone who rightly falls in categories one or two above.

Do not self-sabotage. People experiencing imposter syndrome may refuse to accept credit when it is due or shy away from receiving criticism. On the other hand, a person may rewrite narratives that make minuscule accomplishments seem more massive to balance out feeling like a fraud. Both behaviors are counterproductive. The former may create anxiety, self-doubt, or shame, and the latter sets a bar of expectancy that may be much higher than it should be, which sets you up for possible future failure. 

1. Seek a mental health exam. According to the American Psychological Association, while imposter syndrome is not defined as a mental health disorder, its presence is often accompanied by other mental health conditions. A mental health exam will help you explore if other issues require psychological intervention. Seeking help with mental health is a sign of immense strength and a desire to be your best functioning self.

2. You may be in good company. If you are not a fraud but feel the impact of imposter syndrome, you are in good company. Many accomplished individuals have reported experiencing these sometimes debilitating feelings, not least of which is Maya Angelou, who once wrote, "I have written 11 books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they're going to find out now. I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out.'" Sometimes just knowing that you’re in good company is enough to understand that it’s critical to keep pressing forward while finding ways to address these feelings. Chances are you know at least one person on this list, and it’s doubtful that anyone would question these individuals' accomplishments. 

   • Riz Ahmed

   • Maya Angelou

   • Jacinda Ardern

   • Mike Cannon-Brookes

   • Tommy Cooper

   • Neil Gaiman

   • Tom Hanks

   • Chuck Lorre

   • Michelle Obama

   • Michelle Pfeiffer

   • Sonia Sotomayor

   • Nicola Sturgeon

   • David Tennant

   • Emma Watson

   • Matty Healy

   • Thom Yorke

   • Lando Norris

   • André 3000

3. Seek help. If you are dealing with effects from imposter syndrome that impact your life, seek help. Again, mental health checkups are essential, but these resources may also help you. Also, talking to others about your experience, whether it is others who experience imposter syndrome or confidants who do not, could be beneficial.

4. Connect with a mentor. Seek out someone in your field who you admire and who can give you practical advice.

5. Get better. Learning is life-long, so never stop learning. Beef up on your hard and soft skills to increase confidence.

6. Avoid feelings of shame. Nobody wins the shame game. Acknowledging where you are starting allows you the opportunity to realize the work you need to put in to get to the next level. Self-pity will not get the job done.

“I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”

- Maya Angelou

“I have spent my years since Princeton, while at law school and in my various professional jobs, not feeling completely a part of the worlds I inhabit. I am always looking over my shoulder wondering if I measure up.”

- Sonia Sotomayer

“I still have a little impostor syndrome… It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.”

- Michelle Obama

“The greatest obstacle for me has been the voice in my head that I call my obnoxious roommate. I wish someone would invent a tape recorder that we could attach to our brains to record everything we tell ourselves. We would realize how important it is to stop this negative self-talk. It means pushing back against our obnoxious roommate with a dose of wisdom.”

- Arianna Huffington

“I still sometimes feel like a loser kid in high school and I just have to pick myself up and tell myself that I’m a superstar every morning so that I can get through this day and be for my fans what they need for me to be.”

- Lady Gaga

“Now when I receive recognition for my acting, I feel incredibly uncomfortable. I tend to turn in on myself. I feel like an imposter.”

- Emma Watson

“There are an awful lot of people out there who think I’m an expert. How do these people believe all this about me? I’m so much aware of all the things I don’t know.”

- Dr. Margaret Chan

We advocate a healthy lifestyle free from the impact of imposter syndrome. So many people report struggling with these feelings, and we believe there should be no shame if you live an honest, fraud-free life. Develop your career, remain confident in the accomplishments that allowed you to reach the mountain peaks of your field, and continue to push forward. Seek whatever help you need to conquer the unfounded feelings of imposter syndrome. If you are indeed living life as an imposter, either through illegal means or through misrepresenting talents and accomplishments, we advocate for you to seek the type of help you most need to correct those behaviors.

There is no reversal of this law. The impacts of imposter syndrome can be enormous, and it’s best to seek practical help and support. Or, if you’re living life as a fraud, the sooner you stop that and start living a more authentic, honest life, the better for you, your relationships, and your career.