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- Is There a Cure For Imposter Syndrome?
I wish I could tell you that I’m immune to Imposter Syndrome, that persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved.
I’ve worked hard for my success. I’ve earned it. Yet, like 85 percent of women in corporate America, I’ve experienced it many times.
Turns out, Imposter Syndrome—a term coined in academia in 1978—is particularly damaging to those in marginalized and underrepresented groups. A symptom of systemic xenophobia, these feelings of self-doubt show up along the lines of gender, race, socioeconomic status, and education levels.
And it’s highly contextual: You can experience Imposter Syndrome in one part of your life but not others.
I wish I could tell you I’ve found a cure for my Imposter Syndrome. But it’s been a part of my mental load for years. When I wrote my first leadership book, I had it big time. I recall telling my editor: “Who am I to write a book about being a leader? I run a tiny company, and I’ve only been doing it for two years. I shouldn’t be doing this.”
She responded: “Oh, leadership books are just self-help books for executives.”
That helped, but, looking back, I shouldn’t have needed her to minimize the work, to undervalue what would be one of my proudest achievements.
I must also remind myself of this whenever I speak about generative AI. Inside my head, I’m thinking: “Who am I to talk about generative AI? People have worked in this field for decades, and I’m showing up now? I shouldn’t be doing this.”
Of course, I have a unique perspective and a specific story to tell.
In both those scenarios, I should have followed the REST framework. Here’s how it works:
Reframing
Rethink your relationship with failure and instead see it as an opportunity for growth. Practice self-compassion and mindfulness, and reposition yourself with your peers. If you start to think, “I don’t belong here” or “I shouldn’t be doing this,” stop and reframe it. What would happen if you said that you could do it? Would you believe it? What would it take to get you to believe it?
Evidence
Feelings can cloud perfectly good facts. Document your successes, list your achievements, and take it further: Connect them to a clear personal or professional goal to show impact.
Self-Confidence
Practicing self-confidence is vital. Start with positive affirmations. Need some suggestions for ones to start with? “I belong here.” “I do this well.” “I deserve to be here.” Then, be sure to own your successes. Take credit for them, advocate for yourself, and ask for what you deserve.
Talking to Others
Support networks are crucial for those who deal with Imposter Syndrome the most. Find a sponsor, join a corporate employee resource group, or start your own group. Then, seek continuous feedback to keep you moving in the right direction.
The sad truth is Imposter Syndrome isn’t likely to disappear: It’s been a pervasive issue for nearly a half-century. The key is to recognize when it creeps in, uninvited, and threatens to undermine your talents and sabotage your success. If that happens, just remember to REST.
— Charlene
My Latest:
You can take 90 days to formulate a complete generative AI strategy—to plan experiments, to prepare teams, and to get your larger game plan ready. Watch my latest livestream or read my LinkedIn newsletter for guidance and guidelines for what you should tackle, week by week.
“My organization doesn’t need an AI Council.” Countless leaders put it off, but I’m here to tell you to put it back on your priority list. In Leading Disruption, I review how to get organized for AI.
Want to understand better how generative AI will inform—and transform—the future of work? Get prepared by taking my just-released, 30-minute LinkedIn Learning course, “Generative AI and Workforce Transformation.” There’s also a Q&A session on the topic available.
Bad news: Your AI strategy is going to fail. The key is to learn how to set expectations and anticipate potential failure points for your AI efforts so that when you fail, you fail gracefully—and recover quickly. To find out how, tune in on Tuesday, Sep. 26, at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET on LinkedIn and Facebook Live.
Good Things:
Newsletter I love reading: Superhuman AI. It’s a daily newsletter jam-packed with AI news updates, productivity hacks, and helpful lists like the Ultimate 100 AI Tools.
Gadget I wish I had gotten sooner: Lock Socket. My charger cords seem to grow legs and walk away with regularity - admittedly, I’m often the culprit! These locks ensure cables stay put and are always available.
Words I’m pondering: ‘How To Be Successful” by Sam Altman. Written five years ago when he was the President of Y Combinator, Altman took his learnings from thousands of founders and distilled them into 13 ideas. It's worth the read!
Thank you for subscribing to the Disruption Dispatch, which goes out to thousands of disruptors every other week to help you on your disruption journey—plus a curated recommendation list of a few Good Things I’m enjoying.
Want more? Check out my weekly publication, Leading Disruption, on LinkedIn.
Charlene Li
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