Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Best practices to confidently grow in your career

From university students and young entrepreneurs to senior executives, imposter syndrome remains a common thread in everyone’s personal career journey. Imposter syndrome has no bias for job, seniority, race or gender and business leaders are not immune to it either. On the contrary, it can heavily affect CEOs who, despite their years of experience, can fall victim to it and allow self doubt to hinder their career progression and skills development. If left unaddressed, it can also prevent young workers from accomplishing their true potential. 

This is especially true for women striving to break barriers and establish successful careers in traditionally male-dominated industries, and often result in skewed statistics that suggest limited interest among women to pursue senior executive roles.

As the topic continues to be a central issue characterising UK workplace dynamics, it is time to have a more open conversation on how business leaders can both learn, and teach others, how to accept imposter syndrome as a tool for fostering personal growth and confidence. 

Ironically, imposter syndrome affects hardworking individuals the most— those who are already likely to possess the necessary skills to excel in their professions as noted by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes when they first identified this phenomenon in 1978. Despite exceptional abilities and achievements, those experiencing imposter syndrome find it easier to fall into a false belief of inadequacy. It is also important to remember that imposter syndrome manifests differently based on individuals' profile and backgrounds, and can often be internalised to the point of denial. 

Luckily, there are a few easy steps for business leaders to ease the feelings of imposter syndrome while facilitating their personal growth and management skills.

Adopt a growth mindset

As they say, the first step to solve an issue is to acknowledge it. One effective strategy to start a more open conversation on the topic is to shift perspective around imposter syndrome; instead of hiding from it, lean towards it. Business leaders should recognise imposter syndrome as a natural rite of passage for any successful and healthy career journey.

More specifically, they should strive to replace their “comfort zone” with a more challenging "growth zone," a place where they are challenged to take on risks and tackle responsibilities that might initially seem intimidating. While it may not appear to be the conventional approach to addressing imposter syndrome, embracing the 'fake it till you make it' mindset and maintaining trust in the process can empower leaders to move forward.

Adopting a growth mindset allows leaders to see obstacles as temporary, and - just like imposter syndrome - as necessary steps to grow and get better. After all, success is not the trademark of natural-born leaders. It's always a result of hard-work and dedicated training. And constant practice is the true and only key to successful business leadership.

Individuals throughout an organisation need to stop telling themselves they’re not qualified, good enough or perhaps even worthy. Growth starts to happen when you start doing things you’re not qualified to do!

Speak with a trusted colleague - you’re not alone!

Another important piece of advice is to remember that no professional journey is an easy one. 

First-time executives can find value from joining a group of peers. Sometimes, when experiencing feelings of self doubt, all people really need to hear is the words ‘Me too’. In the fast-paced and often volatile business world, it is possible for CEOs to mistake a time of uncertainty or transition for a lack of leadership or executive skills on their behalf. Talking it out with a trusted group of peers can help them realise how common and normal their feelings are.

For example, ambitious MDs and CEOs join groups because they want to connect with other like-minded executives through a trusted leadership experience that delivers professional, and personal, results. This is where leaders get fresh perspectives, clarity, and support to make the big decisions.

This can also offer space for healthy comparison practices and for leaders to feel more confident in their strategic choices, or learn from others. One of the hardest things about imposter syndrome is the overarching feeling of loneliness it can produce, and it can be alienating. By finding others who feel like you, the world will feel less lonely and objectives more easily attainable.

Referring to a more senior mentor can also be quite beneficial. A good mentor has myriad experiences of success and has suffered numerous setbacks. Setbacks may be nerve-wracking for a first-time executive, but a good mentor knows that many things, good and bad, will happen in even the best careers. Ultimately, this is what makes a seasoned mentor all the more valuable!

Create a culture of growth   

This issue is not limited to individuals who are well advanced in their career, but rather starts from the very beginning of each professional path. Imposter syndrome can weigh more heavily on young employees as they navigate the challenges of their first job, while striving to acquire new skills and bolster their confidence. 

Every individual eventually goes through this feeling when moving forward in their respective career, and as such, it is something leaders need to embrace as an inherent milestone in their professional journey and, equally importantly, advocate for a culture where their employees are encouraged to do the same. 

Good leaders actively mobilise to identify and dismantle the systems that foster (generally unwarranted) feelings of inadequacy — often seen among top performers. Rewarding people’s curiosity and eagerness to learn can be an effective strategy to reassure young employees to be on the right path to professional growth; similarly, becoming obsessed with fair and accurate informal feedback — including praise, can be an excellent way to boost confidence and engagement within the team. Fostering a culture that allows ‘good failure’ is often the only way to truly have creativity and innovation in an organisation. 

Creating a culture of growth will result in benefits to leaders too and still aligns with the general premise of accepting imposter syndrome. Business leaders can master feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt as motivation to invite fresh perspectives from their team members and bolster trust and collaboration amongst their workforce. This is an excellent way for CEOs to ensure their business leadership is supported and trusted by their staff, which in return, will allow them to fight against any urge to give in to imposter syndrome. In other words, imposter syndrome can become a catalyst for self-improvement, as it can inspire individuals to pursue their goals through motivation rather than fear.