M AS TE R C L ASS
:modest to a fault
"I'm just lucky to
have got this far
without anyone
noticing that I
really don't know
what I'm doing"
Do you suffer from 'Imposter Syndrome'?
IF YOU HAVE EVER said any of the above
statements you may be suffering from what has
been coined 'imposter syndrome'.
Imposter syndrome has gained international
attention recently; it is a set of feelings that can
impact on the daily lives of women (and men) who
suffer from a sense of inadequacy and a feeling that
they are a fraud in spite of their apparent success.
Those with imposter syndrome often feel that
their success is due to luck rather than the hard
work that they have put in, that they are likely to
be 'found out' for not being as successful as people
perceive they are.
Imposter syndrome most often rears its ugly
head at times of stress or when a sufferer is working
outside their comfort zone; a promotion, an
opportunity, a presentation to a group of unfamiliar
people or a time when sharing something that
could be judged.
Those with imposter syndrome often fear that if
they invest too much in their success they will suffer
when someone discovers the 'real' them and it gets
taken away.
The result? Women with imposter syndrome
tend to shy away from success by sabotaging their
chances of further success by:
• Avoiding putting themselves forward for
assignments and contracts that will make them
stand out.
• Missing deadlines due to not feeling that the
work created is good enough.
• Not charging enough for services.
50 | www.h e rmagaz i n e . c o. n z
It is most often women who are very
successful that end up with these feelings.
Having spent many years looking up to and
being inspired by women who are successful
it is crippling to reach their level of success
and not FEEL as confident as they looked.
Sufferers find the magical wand of success
touched their income, their job title and their
stress levels but it didn't touch how they see
themselves.
Imposter syndrome is in part a result of
a passion and a love for the work you
do. This passion is a good thing, and
wanting the best
for those who
benefit from your
work is also a
good thing. The
trick for many is
to manage the
crippling self-doubt
so that you get to
benefit from your
success as well as
others.
"THEY'RE ON
TO ME, ANY
MOMENT
NOW THEY
ARE GOING
TO REALIZE
I'M NOT
REALLY AS
GOOD AS
THEY THINK
I AM."
