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Have you ever had the thought, “I don’t belong here,” run through your head? You’re not alone. In fact, a 2011 study found that approximately 70% of people have similar thoughts associated with what’s called ‘impostor syndrome.’
‘Imposter syndrome’ is defined by Lexico as ‘the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.’ It finds its origin in personality traits such as perfectionism or high anxiety and can be compounded by external factors such as environment and culture.
Girls Who Invest is a non-profit organization with a mission of increasing the number of women in frontline investment and leadership roles in the finance industry. To make progress towards this goal, I work with bright undergraduate women who are exploring careers in this male-dominated industry. Imposter syndrome is a common occurrence among these students. It can result in many of them prematurely ruling out investment jobs - or an entire career in finance - based on both stereotypes about the industry and a false sense of reality about themselves and their capabilities.
With a holistic approach that includes awareness, techniques, and practice, our students can learn to manage their self-doubts, gain a more objective sense of their own capabilities and belonging, and succeed in the financial industry. These same steps can apply to you as you confront imposter syndrome as well, in any industry. Take a look at the ways to overcome your doubts.
Name It
A first step in managing imposter syndrome is to name the phenomenon. Imposter syndrome is a prejudicial way of viewing the world. Instead of seeing things objectively, you see events through the filter of your own emotional life and internal agenda. This isn’t easy to rectify, but identifying it is a start.
Know It
Once you know imposter syndrome exists, the next step is knowing that you will very likely experience it yourself. Recognizing that the majority of people have similar feelings can be a powerful tool for managing those doubts.
Take Note
Make note of what events lead to feelings of imposter syndrome, your thoughts, and the physical and emotional impacts they have on you. Give yourself the freedom to take a step back and not immediately react so you can weigh how to best handle both your thoughts and the situation. Over time, you may notice patterns that help you reevaluate your job, the greater culture of the organization, and your place within it.
Seek Counsel
Learning to hold your reaction gives you time not only to reflect personally but to seek counsel from others. Develop trusting relationships with your peers and look for a mentor who is more advanced in their career. These peers and mentors can help you process, analyze, and strategize how best to handle various workplace situations. I also believe in the adage ‘you can be what you can see,’ and surrounding yourself with those successful women will bring that saying to life for you.
Get Technical
While imposter syndrome is marked by the inability to believe you deserve your success, or that your success is legitimate, it can at the same time be true that you need to continue to hone your skills and gain additional knowledge. At Girls Who Invest, we find that providing education in a supportive environment gives students the confidence that they are prepared and can compete successfully. There is nuance in this step in that women, in particular, tend to think that they need to know more or do more before they can take whatever leap is in front of them. Skill- and knowledge-building is another opportunity to use counsel from peers and mentors to gain perspective on appropriateness and risk.
Gain Experience
There is no substitute for real-world experience to provide a more accurate perception of the skills and knowledge needed to be successful. It’s quite possible you realize you already possess many of those necessary skills and will have a better idea of how to attain knowledge where you are lacking. If you’ve done the job and done the job well, some of the doubts may disappear.
Be Kind to Yourself
Although there are many techniques to mitigate ‘impostor syndrome,’ the most important advice is to be kind to yourself. There is no silver bullet to attain control of one’s thoughts and their physical and emotional impact. It’s a process that requires patience and personal growth, but you are capable of breaking free.
About the Author: Janet Cowell is CEO of Girls Who Invest (GWI), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing gender diversity and inclusion in investment management with a focus on growing the pipeline of women entering the industry in frontline investing positions. Prior, she held publicly elected offices in North Carolina for fifteen years and was the first woman elected State Treasurer, managing over $100 billion in assets and health and retirement benefits for more than 900,000 members. You can learn more about Janet here.