Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is defined as a person who is successful but feels they are a fraud. It's used often by both men and women. It's roots are based on a study of high-achieving women.

The article raises an important point. When women experience uncertainty in he workplace, it is often said that they suffer from imposter syndrome. That puts the onus on them, that it is a condition that they are struggling with and that they need to overcome. By referring to their experiences as imposter syndrome, it completely disregards the reality of the systematic oppression that women, and especially black women and women of colour experience.

Women are surrounded by a male-dominated system, one that always told them they were not good enough, and with prehistoric racist policies from white men, that further marginalise, suppress, and oppress, it absolves white supremacy and the patriarchy from playing any role.

As the article also states, men who experience uncertainty often overcome it, while many women do not. Why? Because the system is continually working against them and women do not have access to the same resources that men do.

Changing this requires a big cultural shift from the top. We each can do our part.

1. We can stop blaming women and making them feel somehow inadequate by referring to their feelings of uncertainty as imposter syndrome. It is the system not a syndrome.
2. We can listen, be supportive, be empathetic, not dismissive.
3. We can treat women fairly. This means we need to be conscious of our own biases and work hard to eradicate them.
4. We can sponsor women / black women / women of colour to ensure they are getting access to the same resources and opportunities that men do.
5. Tear down those systems oppressing women. Change the dinosaur policies. Men, especially white men have the power and privilege to do this.

Things won't change without action.

(Adapted from comments by Glenn Block MBA, on an article about Imposter Syndrome that appeared in the Harvard Review. (recommended reading by Brené Brown) Read the whole article here: https://lnkd.in/gSS-a4eJ)

7 handy tips to help you break through:

1. Break the Silence Imposter Syndrome is directly linked to the limiting beliefs we have about ourselves. Limiting beliefs are shame based feelings we all have. One thing I know from working with hundreds of women on their shame is that shame doesn't like us to talk about it, because talking about our shameful feelings takes away the power they have over us. When we begin to talk about the fraudulent feelings we have, the hold they have over us diminishes. We realise we are not alone, and learn there is something we can do about the way we feel. We all feel stupid or not good enough at times, but just because we feel that way doesn't necessarily mean we are. So the first step is to get clear on who you really are, by completing the IFL Zone of Genius exercises, and getting clear on what is true and what is not.
2. Use the Super Power of Utilization If you feel you've made a mistake or done less well than you could have done, harvest the learnings from the experience, and use them to improve your experience next time.
3. Acknowledge your Needs We all have messages we have heard or received and internalised over time, such as "Don't ask for help" or "I should know the answers" or even "You must do it perfectly". These are messages that come from a masculine system of power, even if we actually heard them from our bosses or our parents. We all have the right to ask for assistance, or make a mistake or even be wrong. We need to get clear about what our needs are and stand for these needs being met. So what do you need?
4. Change your Script Make the conversation you hear going on in your head when you feel these imposter feelings conscious. So for example instead of thinking, "They'll soon find out that I am not competent to do this", tell yourself, "It's normal to feel unsure when we start something new" or "If I don't know all the answers, I am clever enough to find them out". Stop looking around and telling yourself, "Everyone here is so much more brilliant than I am". Instead tell yourself, "On some level we are all brilliant, and we can all learn a lot from each other, I am not expected to be the font of all knowledge".
5. Visualise your Success Spend time before your meeting or presentation visualising yourself making being successful. This will calm your nervous system, ease your stress and give you a good chance of having a positive outcome. Using the centering visualisation, centre yourself in your deeper, wider centre, that wise, adult woman, connected to her gifts and talents, before going on to visualise her success.
6. Celebrate your own Success After the event, learn to pause and acknowledge what you've done well and to celebrate your success. This is something we can all do for ourselves. We don't need to wait for acknowledgement from others. We can also decide what we might like to do differently next time, or what else we might like to try out, even if trying something new might feel a little scary. We all grow by challenging ourselves a little more each time. This also enables us to stay on top of our game vs feeling stale or bored.
7. Fake it until you Make it This was one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given. Doing something new will always feel strange or uncomfortable at first, because this side of us is unfamiliar to us. Many high achievers consider faking it until they make it as a skill. We can't afford to wait until we feel confident until we put ourselves out there, because confidence comes from actually doing it. Courage comes from taking calculated risks. When you take the risk to step into something new, your confidence will naturally grow, and you will feel more and more confident and less and less like an imposter.