Imposter syndrome at work - How to deal with it

Imposter syndrome at work can strike anyone, no matter what level of seniority they've reached or their background. Many highly qualified, seemingly confident people can be overcome with self-doubt when the reality and expectations of joining the executive team hit home.

It can manifest itself in many ways, but here are a few tell-tale signs indicating you feel imposter syndrome's effects at work.

1. Persistent self-doubt: You are continually questioning your abilities and skills, even though they are what has elevated you to where you are today.
2. Attributing success to other factors: You regularly downplay your role in any success at work, preferring to attribute it to luck, timing, or help from others.
3. Fear of failure: Your aversion to making a mistake keeps you from taking action for fear that any mistake will confirm your inadequacy.
4. Difficulty accepting praise: You find receiving praise for your work incredibly difficult, either because you do not believe it or because you brush it off.
5. Feel like a fraud: You have a persistent fear of being found out again despite having performed well enough to receive a promoted role.

Why is imposter syndrome prevalent at work?

The work environment can be incredibly positive or provide the perfect breeding ground for the imposter syndrome you are feeling.

Leadership styles are critical in creating and dealing with imposter syndrome, so it is vital to examine it in the broader context of your business. A top-down management style from other leaders will not help combat the feelings of imposter syndrome in the same way that a coaching style would.

It is often a competitive world with high levels of pressure, and a lack of support from senior figures can sow the seeds of doubt.

However, it is crucial to accept a level of personal responsibility. Sometimes, a drive for perfection can fuel the symptoms of imposter syndrome. When certain standards are unmet, it can be easy to slip back into your comfort zone rather than tackle the issues around your management style.

Recognising when it’s not Imposter Syndrome

When we are going through change, personal growth and development or stepping into a new role it is very natural to feel a level of discomfort and self-doubt that in itself is a sign of growth. If nothing changes, we stay in our comfort zone and don’t feel those uncomfortable feelings of self-doubt or discomfort, which, in this instance, can indicate positive elements of growth.

It’s important to recognise if this feeling of self-doubt and discomfort is really a sign of personal growth for you to lean into as you grow and actually seek out to ensure you keep growing and learning in your career. Or is it a more deep-seated, lasting sense of self-doubt that is persistent when no change or development is present and just increases as you stretch yourself to grow?

Combatting imposter syndrome at work

So, how do you approach dealing with the imposter syndrome you are feeling?

Here are some valuable strategies to consider as you approach the move to the senior team. These can make it more comfortable or help you regain confidence and competence if you were recently promoted.

Mindset

As part of an Executive or Senior Team, you will now be expected to take a view and responsibility for the business as a whole and not only your area of expertise or team.

It can sometimes take people a while to fully understand this and adjust their mindset accordingly.

1. Concentrate on listening and observing at initial meetings as opposed to contributing. This approach will help you understand the meetings' expectations, each member's role, and any politics in play, making you more comfortable. All of which will allow you to make more valuable contributions later
2. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your other team members to see if you can understand their point of view even when you disagree with it.
3. Spend time with other team members to better understand their area of the business and remit, as well as their goals and challenges.

Thinking, not doing

En route to this role and promotion, you will no doubt have been measured and rewarded to some degree based on your and your team's output and contribution. You may have always been extremely busy, with little time to think or plan.

You are now, however, responsible for being part of the team that leads the whole business and for leading a crucial part of it.

So what does this mean for you?

Whether you are leading a new team or have taken a step up from within your own team, it is critical to take some time to understand each member and reflect on what you would like to achieve.

Too often, I see people who are so keen to jump in or "make their mark" that they later have to undo many of their early actions in their new role because they didn't fully understand, made assumptions, or assumed they already knew the people.

So, how do you tackle this new approach of more thinking and less doing?

1. One of your key roles is thinking about how your team contributes to the broader business vision and strategy, it will help to view your team in the broader context and also help you to communicate to them how their work if valuable and contributes to the bigger picture which they can sometimes forget and can help them feel more connected.
2. Leading effectively means setting aside quality time to spend with each of your direct reports, listening to their feedback, and understanding how you can support them in developing and achieving their goals.
3. Effective delegation will be crucial to your leadership development and ability to lead and help your team grow. Ensure you delegate your previous role and areas of responsibility and develop a strong team around you.
4. In this new role, you will also likely need to expand your knowledge of the marketplace, spend more time interacting with your customers, suppliers, and competitors, and build a strong external network. Give yourself the time and freedom to do that; it is your job now.

Combatting the fear of making yourself redundant

Often, when I work with people who are at the stage of becoming more effective at thinking rather than doing and are able to step back from the day-to-day work in the business, an element of fear or even panic sets in.

This is often due to being in change mode but having yet to quite reach your destination.

People are also very unwilling to discuss it with colleagues or their CEO, as admitting this fear exists and understanding it isn't easy.

You may not yet be fully clear on how you are going to spend all of your time and may not see your new role with full clarity yet. It may also be entirely alien for you to have time to think.

1. Remind yourself that you are now paid to think, not act.
2. Ask yourself if you were to act, what would you do? Whose role is it to now do this? What impact would you have if you were to act?
3. Understand that this fear is a natural part of the change process. By acknowledging and feeling this fear, you are well on your way to feeling more comfortable in your new role.
4. To see your role more clearly, imagine what success would look like 2 to 3 years in advance and then work backwards to determine what steps you need to take or what you need to put in place to make this success a reality.

Be aware of your comfort zone

As you transition into your new role, adjust your mindset to take a company-wide view. Move from doing to thinking, leading rather than managing, and move through the change process to rid yourself of a fear of becoming redundant.

However, one should be wary of the powerful pull to retreat to one's comfort zone of the past. This will be counterproductive in several ways.

You will almost certainly frustrate your team and get caught up in micro-management.
The company-wide responsibilities will suffer, and as a result, so will the company.
Your fears of failure and imposter syndrome will only grow as you try to play the role of two people.

This is one of the most challenging aspects of transitioning to a new, more senior role. However, to succeed, you need to commit to it and learn to excel as a leader, as you did in the previous role that precipitated your promotion.

Get in touch if you want to learn more about stepping up confidently.