4 Ways to Conquer Imposter Syndrome

If you credit luck instead of skill for your professional accomplishments, and if you struggle to accept praise, you might be experiencing imposter syndrome. If so, you aren’t alone. Nearly 70 percent of high-achieving adults experience it, according to an article in the Harvard Business Review.

Common signs of imposter syndrome include persistent self-doubt and considering yourself a fraud despite evidence to the contrary, according to a Journal of General Internal Medicine article.

To help engineers learn how to manage feelings of inadequacy, IEEE Women in Engineering recently held the Conquer Impostor Syndrome to Advance Your Career webinar. Kim Meninger, a leadership coach, consultant, and motivational speaker, gave tips on building confidence and overcoming anxiety.

Here are her recommendations.

Manage disruptive thoughts

Imposter syndrome is not a clinical diagnosis but a form of anxiety, Meninger said.

“There is no arguing with the fact that being worried someone at work is going to find out you’re not capable of doing your job is fear-based,” she said. The brain interprets fear as a sign of danger, she added, and that triggers a fight-or-flight physiological reaction.

When faced with social threats such as failure, rejection, and humiliation, she said, the fight-or-flight response can cause a person to lose the ability to reason, solve problems, and think clearly.

If that happens, she said, analyze what you fear and what might happen if things go sour. Create an action plan if it happens. When you have a plan, she said, you feel more in control.

When people are anxious, however, it’s often difficult for them to strategize. Meninger’s suggestions on how to stay calm include:

Take deep breaths. It sends a signal to your brain that there is no physical threat. If you are going into a meeting that you know will trigger your anxiety, start breathing exercises a few minutes before it starts.

Bring water with you. Taking a sip of your beverage during your presentation is a great pause button, buying you time to think about what you want to say next, Meninger said, and drinking something won’t attract attention. You gain a moment to collect yourself.

Speak slowly. Anxious people often start speaking quickly, she said. Words and thoughts can diverge, and you can lose the ability to communicate clearly. If you intentionally speak slower, it requires you to focus, diverting your attention from any panic you’re feeling. It also makes you appear more in command of your message.

Adopt a “growth mindset”

The growth mindset, Meninger said, is the belief that a person’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication to learning and hard work, rather than being fixed traits.

Many people develop a fixed mindset in adulthood, believing that their abilities and intelligence are unchangeable. If you have a growth mindset, you believe you can control your destiny and choose whether you want to invest in becoming better at something.

People with a fixed mindset who are not good at math, for example, might attribute it to a lack of understanding the subject. Those with a growth mindset might study or find a tutor to help them, knowing that they can improve with focus and time.

Having a growth mindset can help you become more confident and less likely to experience imposter syndrome, Meninger said.

“It’s important to be aware when you start blaming genetics or natural abilities for what you view as shortcomings,” she said. “We don’t always notice the way we adopt fixed mindsets.”

“Your strengths are the raw materials that allow you to make an impact on your team, organization, family, and community.”

That is where what Meninger calls the power of yet comes into play. When you tell yourself that you’re not good at something, add a yet at the end of the sentence. For example, say “I’m not good at presenting yet,” rather than simply “I’m not good at presenting.”

Adding that single word opens up the possibility of improving rather than making the lack of a skill a definitive statement that can’t be changed, she said.

Another suggested way to practice a growth mindset is to “become a beginner intentionally,” Meninger said. “Perfectionists only take risks where they’re virtually guaranteed to succeed. Because of this, they tend not to experience the discomfort of learning and growing.”

One way to break out of that cycle, she said, is to learn a new skill outside of work, such as knitting, art, playing a musical instrument, or speaking another language.

Celebrate your successes

Many people don’t take time to celebrate their successes. Instead, they focus on their mistakes and failures, whether real or perceived. One reason, Meninger said, is that culture and family expectations influence the way people view mistakes and successes. Several cultures teach humility and that one should not talk about their successes, as it can be boastful.

“We owe it to ourselves to unapologetically accept that we have strengths,” Meninger said. “There’s nothing shameful about that. Your strengths are the raw materials that allow you to make an impact on your team, organization, family, and community.”

If you don’t know what you do well, you can’t channel it in a positive direction, she said. Knowing your strengths isn’t about stroking your ego but rather understanding how you can be of service to others.

Your brain won’t focus on your successes naturally, so it’s important to practice, Meninger said. One way to do so is to keep an accomplishment journal. Write down three things each day that went well, or problems you solved, at work or in your personal life.

Your journal also can be used as a source when you need to fill out a performance evaluation for your employer or to make a case for a promotion, she said. It helps to build your confidence because you can see your successes listed.

Leverage your resources

You don’t need to be an expert on every subject, Meninger said; you just need to recognize what you don’t know. To gain expertise, create relationships with people who have knowledge you’re missing, she recommended: Instead of putting pressure on yourself to be all-knowing, think about who at your company can complement your skills and how you can work with them.

Also, if you’re worried that everyone else in a meeting has more experience than you and you’re doubting your contributions, inquire why you were invited. Ask the meeting organizer what they would like you to contribute or what information they want you to prepare.

“Don’t go into a mystery meeting that will cause you more anxiety,” Meninger cautioned.

When you ask such questions, you likely will learn the organizer invited you because of a strength you have.

IEEE Women in Engineering regularly hosts career-related webinars, which are available to watch on demand on its website. The webinars cover topics such as best practices for science communication, leadership skills, and turning research into a startup.