How can you overcome imposter syndrome in high-pressure situations?

In my experience, as leaders, we need to help people overcome this and recognize how prevalent it is. I wrote an article on Imposter Syndrome - it’s on my LinkedIn page.

Internal squirming of feelings in guilt that overrides sense of achievement is a good sign of downplaying accomplishments. This makes sense as those who have Imposter Syndrome thoughts will attribute the achievements or success to hard work or luck at times rather than one's competency or capability. It will be good to understand what part of one's life experiences potentially contributed to the self-inadequacy. Low self-esteem since growing up years can be one good root cause of self-inadequacy in Imposter Syndrome. The low esteem can come on the back of growing up with parents comparing results with siblings or others and downplaying one's efforts. This potentially can lead one to compare oneself negatively habitually to others.

This rings true for me, especially as I wrote my recent memoir! I wanted to quit and battled with my belief that I could do it and my fear of being a "nobody" in the professional world. I reconnected with my calling to write the memoir and my purpose for writing it, which was to bring hope to Christians whoare LGBTQIA+ and believed they couldn't be gay and Christian. I processed where that imposter syndrome voice was coming from within me and sent grace to my naysayers and chose to say yes to my calling and be the voice that so many need to hear; you are beloved and you don't have to die without knowing that you too can be your authentic self and be in relationship with the God of your understanding.

Reframing perspective will be beneficial, but it is really difficult in view of the habitual (learnt behaviour), innate way of behaving. It takes time and being self aware. My perfectionist (a potential contributor to Imposter Syndrome) trait has always been in play in most aspects of my life. It is only later on in life when I self reflect and did some reframing. If we take a step back and look at the word “Perfect”, what is exactly PERFECT? It is so subjective to each individual and seems to be a moving yardstick in view of the constant change, influx of new information and new requirements. In that case, it seems that I was setting myself up for failure. It is then ok to tell ourselves that we did our best in the moment in time.

Therapy offers valuable support in overcoming imposter syndrome by creating a safe and nurturing environment to explore the roots of these feelings. It provides guidance in identifying negative thought patterns, imparting coping strategies, and fostering a positive shift in self-perception. Through therapy, individuals receive the tools to build self-esteem, manage stress, and cultivate a more empowering mindset. This process not only helps in recognizing personal achievements but also in building resilience against imposter syndrome.

Taking time to engage in relevant professional development. Many newer professionals engage in self doubt due to simply not knowing things. Learning cutting edge skills can help make up for not being in your respective field for as long but you can still yield solid results.