Beyond self-doubt: overcoming impostor syndrome

You are in a meeting in which you have barely said a word. Perhaps you had one or two ideas to contribute, but they felt inane and stupid compared to those of your colleagues. Maybe if you say nothing, no one will realize that you have a seat at the table by sheer luck.

These thoughts plague you daily, almost hourly. Maybe they are a whisper in the back of your head, easily overlooked. Or maybe they have evolved into a full chorus, never giving you a moment’s respite, making work intolerable. It might be time to admit that you suffer from impostor syndrome.

This phenomenon refers to “the notion that some individuals feel as if they ended up in esteemed roles and positions not because of their competencies, but because of some oversight or stroke of luck.”¹ It affects high-achieving individuals who “despite their objective success, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor”.²

So, how can we best internalize our success, and start trusting ourselves and our abilities in the workplace?