If you have been on any social media platform, chances are you have by now seen #impostersyndrome and related hashtags every time you randomly scroll through your feed. On Instagram, there are over 400k posts (and counting) with the #impostersyndrome hashtag. On the professional social networking site LinkedIn, posts on the topic are ubiquitous, with job seekers and working professionals offering insights on how they beat Imposter syndrome.
So, what exactly is Imposter syndrome and why do so many people on social media refer to this feeling?
Explains Bengaluru-based Kashmira Lad, a professional certified coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), “Imposter syndrome is the internal belief that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. You often end up feeling like a fraud despite evidence of your achievements and abilities. It’s characterised by persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a “phoney”. Another Imposter syndrome trait is to attribute one’s success to external factors like “luck” rather than one’s skills or efforts. Perfectionism is often a side-effect.”
In the era of social media, validation comes in the form of metrics like likes or shares, so everyone’s in a race to match up, which leads to feelings of inadequacy, observes Kashmira. “It is not as if these feelings have not been there before (pre-digital age) but social media increases the need for validation from others,” she notes.
According to a 2023 collaborative study published in the Psychology and Marketing journal, professional social network site usage heightens “professional self-focused attention, triggering imposter thoughts.”
For Jaipur-based ESG and sustainability consultant Chitranjali Tiwari, who has been an active user of professional networking site LinkedIn to write articles and posts on issues that matter to her, the platform may trigger imposter thoughts more than other social networking sites simply because the focus is on professional matters. However, she observes that LinkedIn also sometimes has the opposite impact of the Imposter syndrome. “When I see professionals with a not-so-stellar background take up new roles or responsibilities, it actually boosts my confidence and I feel I can pull it off as well.”
The high-achiever conundrum
“Am I even good enough to have Imposter syndrome?” is a meta meme you spot online. The feeling of inadequacy or having “lucked out” often hits high achievers hard. It has not spared even Nobel Prize winners. Take the example of 2021 Chemistry laureate David MacMillan. When he and his wife visited the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, they had an emotional time as they scrolled through the guestbook with signatures from Nobel Prize laureates since the 1950s. On the occasion, he famously quipped, “I am sort of geeking out here. This is when my Imposter syndrome becomes very strong!”
From the genius physicist Albert Einstein to former American First Lady Michelle Obama, the world’s pantheon of the greatest and most celebrated personalities have experienced the infamous syndrome. That should come as a bright spot for many self-doubters!
Australia-based Shilpa Kulshrestha is a game-changer coach, author and career strategist working with clients across the world. But it was not always thus. She recalls her journey from her time in a company when she was handpicked for a project because of her outstanding ratings. The project meant rubbing shoulders with senior stakeholders and Shilpa knew that it was “an opportunity of a lifetime.” However, on the very first day, at the steering committee meeting, she started to feel like an imposter. She felt she knew nothing. This recurred the next day and soon, Shilpa began to fear that one day they’d find out that she didn’t belong there. “For five years, I kept waiting for people in black coats to throw me out of that executive room,” she notes. Eventually, “my Imposter syndrome led me to my company rightfully getting rid of me in 2018,” she says.
Sharlaine Menezes is a rapper, singer and songwriter — breaking stereotypes as Goa’s pioneering female rapper. She is also a content writer and since she juggles many roles, she is no stranger to a gnawing Imposter syndrome throughout her journey. “Being a jack of all trades and a master of none often amplifies these feelings. People frequently tell me that what I’m doing isn’t right or that I should follow a more conventional path, especially with my music, where I don’t adhere to generic patterns but choose to do things differently,” she explains. There have been several instances when Imposter syndrome has held her back. “For example, when I released a new song that didn’t fit the typical mould, I was full of self-doubt. Even though some people appreciated my unique style, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t good enough. This doubt sometimes prevented me from promoting my work or taking up opportunities that could have showcased my music to a broader audience.”
As a content writer too, she often questioned her skills when she received feedback that certain things needed to be done in a certain way that was “correct”. “It felt like a constant struggle to prove that my unconventional methods had value. Accepting compliments was equally challenging because I always suspected people were just being nice or didn’t understand my work,” she explains.
For ESG and sustainability consultant Chitranjali, Imposter syndrome has reared its head many a time. “When I was in my first job a decade back, I was handed an onsite project at an international location but I was full of self-doubt and felt I didn’t deserve it. However, I didn’t have a choice and had to take it up, which eventually, I did fulfil well,” she says.
On another occasion, when she was offered a leadership position, she felt anxious and took a step back, because she felt “she didn’t know enough” only to later realise that she could have done a good job of it.
“I have had Imposter syndrome all my working life,” writes Sairam Krishnan, Head of Marketing at a startup that leverages AI to transform employee experience. In his newsletter, The CMO Journal, he observes, “A lot of what we do as marketers is abstract and subjective. What we think is good will not be good for someone else. Marketing is not like engineering, where something just works or doesn’t work. This is one of the primary reasons we doubt ourselves all the time. And that’s fine. There’s no other way other than to lean into this.”
A matter of self-awareness
Such self-awareness helps but how does one navigate the hard path that gets you there? How does one make a distinction between feeling like a fraud or finding that there is indeed scope for improvement?
Kashmira peels through the layers to bring some clarity. “When you consistently feel that you don’t deserve compliments while attributing successes to luck or “external factors”, it can be a sign of Imposter syndrome. This feeling persists despite repeated positive feedback, indicating a deeper issue with self-perception. In contrast, genuine self-awareness involves an accurate understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. If a compliment aligns with your known strengths, it is likely deserved. That’s how you know!”
“Most importantly, your internal dialogue plays a crucial role. In Imposter syndrome, the internal dialogue is often negative and dismissive of positive feedback. A self-aware person, however, can accept compliments graciously, recognising their achievements without inflating their ego. Such a person can critically assess feedback without undue self-criticism,” she adds.
Further, she explains how shyness is distinct from Imposter syndrome. “Shyness is more about social discomfort and inhibition, whereas Imposter syndrome refers to internal doubts about one’s capabilities. Yes, both can affect a person’s confidence and behaviour.”
More women than men?
“I have seen both men and women — especially in leadership — struggle with Imposter syndrome. Women are more hard on themselves but they more openly talk about it. Seeking help doesn’t come naturally to many men. I know this because a lot of men in leadership and executive leadership have opened up about this,” explains Shilpa.
Agrees Kashmira. “It is not gender-specific. However, women are more susceptible depending on the society she was raised in, cultural conditioning, gender stereotypes around them, workplace and family dynamics.”
According to a 2020 KPMG survey of 750 women executives, 75 per cent of respondents experienced Imposter syndrome at some point in their careers. Eighty-one per cent said they think that they put more pressure on themselves not to fail when compared to men.
Brag folder, anyone?
For Shilpa, who eventually turned a coach herself, it was help from other coaches who taught her to turn the feeling of not being enough to her advantage.
Rapper Sharlaine acknowledges that Imposter syndrome sometimes pushed her to do better. “I was a speaker at TEDx Margao recently, and that gave me the most confidence. To overcome Imposter syndrome, I started to embrace my unique approach. I began to focus on my strengths and celebrate my accomplishments, no matter how small they were. Seeking feedback from trusted peers and mentors reassured me that everyone has room for improvement,” she adds.
Sairam writes in his newsletter that he has a “brag folder” of nice things people have said about his work, and mentions how important it is for us to be “taking and owning the small wins and validations.” A good place to start perhaps!
The origins
The concept of Imposter syndromeoriginated from a 1978 paper presented by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes titled ‘The Imposter Phenomenon In High Achieving Women’.
According to Marc Reid, author of You Are (Not) A Fraud: A Scientist's Guide To The Imposter Phenomenon, it was in 1982 that Dr Carol Tavris made the first recorded reference to Imposter syndrome alongside ‘Imposter phenomenon’ in an article for the Vogue magazine. “These terms, innocently typed together, seeded the term ‘Imposter syndrome’ to later crawl the walls of the zeitgeist, and leave ‘Imposter phenomenon’ to remain comparatively hidden in the underbrush,” he writes. Clance and Imes have, in interviews, spoken about how Imposterism is not quite a “syndrome” but something almost everyone experiences.
Beat it like this
* Acknowledge your inner critic
* Challenge your negative beliefs and reframe your thoughts
* Practise self-compassion
* Focus on your strengths and celebrate your wins
* Surround yourself with supportive people
* Embrace vulnerability
* Seek professional help if needed
Famously Fraud-ian!
Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta Platforms, author and Founder of Lean In: “'There are still days when I wake up feeling like a fraud, not sure I should be where I am.”
Jodie Foster, actress: “When I won the Oscar, I thought it was a fluke. I thought everybody would find out, and they'd take it back. They'd come to my house, knocking on the door, "Excuse me, we meant to give that to someone else. That was going to Meryl Streep."'
Albert Einstein, Nobel-winning physicist: “The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.”
When Neil met Neil…
Every now and then, an anecdote about British author Neil Gaiman and the Imposter syndrome pops up on social media. When Gaiman was invited to a gathering of achievers, he felt that "at any moment they would realise that I didn’t qualify to be there, among these people who had really done things.” Then, he struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman who shared his first name. “The gentleman pointed to the hall of people, and said words to the effect of, “I just look at all these people, and I think, what the heck am I doing here? They’ve made amazing things. I just went where I was sent,” writes Gaiman. And he adds, “And I said: 'Yes. But you were the first man on the moon. I think that counts for something.'" Gaiman talks about feeling better after this exchange “because if Neil Armstrong felt like an imposter, maybe everyone did.”