Learning to lead yourself effectively and thrive in your new role despite experiencing Imposter Syndrome symptoms is a skill that equips you very well for the future and provides a solid foundation for career success
Remember, your first move into this new role is a significant life achievement, and it’s very natural to feel mixed emotions.
You are likely to start this journey without realising that you may doubt your preparedness or worthiness for the position despite overwhelming evidence that your education and previous accomplishments make you a solid and ideal choice for your employer.
At Transformational Leadership Consulting, we bellieve that Imposter syndrome in a new role represents a psychological phenomenon that affects many people during their career development at different stages. You may take comfort in knowing that you share this experience with many other professionals, but by following the right steps, you will defeat imposter syndrome.
This article examines what it means to experience imposter syndrome at work. We’ll also discuss how it presents itself when employees secure their new job role and the nature of these emotional triggers. We’ll also investigate and discuss ways to manage self-doubt to unlock your untapped potential.
My goal in writing this article begins with highlighting the essential tools that lead to success.
Understanding Imposter Syndrome
The feeling of doubting your skills while fearing others will discover your perceived incompetence defines the essence of Imposter Syndrome. You often relate your accomplishments internally to external factors such as luck and timing instead of your innate abilities despite clear evidence of your success.
Self-doubt persists throughout your career, especially when faced with new responsibilities in a new role.
What causes Imposter Syndrome to emerge?
Imposter syndrome has a direct connection with a new role’s onset.
The Importance of Imposter Syndrome in Your Career When Starting a New Job
You are likely to face stronger feelings of Imposter Syndrome in a new role during your first day at a new workplace. Your responsibilities may include learning new workflows, building trust with your team members and achieving set goals while proving your professional credibility.
You may transition into your new position with unrealistic expectations about how quickly you can perform your new duties and manage your responsibilities, which will increase your self-doubt about your qualifications.
Is Everyone Vulnerable to Imposter Syndrome?
No position or career-level job title protects workers from experiencing Imposter Syndrome.
Your job status never determines whether you will experience Imposter Syndrome. In other words, whether you are running a department, acting as a senior director, or have made that first step on the career ladder as an entry-level employee, you could experience Imposter Syndrome.
Certain personality traits and low self-esteem increase susceptibility, but strong self-confidence does not make you immune to experiencing Imposter Syndrome when encountering new challenges.
Recognising its universality helps you develop a more understanding perspective.
What Are the Main Traits of Imposter Syndrome?
There can be multiple signs that indicate Imposter Syndrome is present in people, so let’s take this opportunity to highlight these in more depth:
Negative self-talk:
You continually think, “I don’t have enough skills for this role.” – You discount your success by labelling your achievements as random events rather than the result of your abilities.
Avoiding recognition:
You avoid receiving praise since you feel you don’t deserve it.
Fear of failure:
Making mistakes causes overwhelming concern, which strengthens feelings of inadequacy. When you see these characteristics within yourself, it becomes a useful starting point for change.
What Triggers Imposter Syndrome?
The origins of Imposter Syndrome cover multiple aspects. Early academic or professional performance pressure can develop internal self-doubt. These feelings intensify when you encounter external factors such as an intense work environment or unclear job responsibilities during your time in a new role.
“Natural geniuses” and “perfectionists” tend to experience higher levels of this imposter phenomenon because they expect easy success.
What Does Imposter Syndrome Look Like in the Workplace?
Imposter syndrome at work manifests professionally through hesitations during meetings, avoiding clarification requests, and over-preparing performance reviews out of fear of criticism.
The need to work harder to prove your worth might strain your mental health. These manifestations help you identify when your actions are controlled by self-doubt.
Five Distinct Types of Imposter Syndrome Imposter Syndrome
These exist in various forms. Five specific types of Imposter Syndrome help you understand your behaviour. These five archetypes are the result of Dr. Valerie Young’s work on Imposter Syndrome, and she is often cited as a leading world expert on this phenomenon.
1. The Perfectionist:
You set unrealistic standards, feeling distressed when you fall short.
2. The Superhero:
You can overcompensate through an excessive effort and internal drive that helps you mask the real feeling within you of adequacy.
3. The Natural Genius:
You assume job competence should come naturally to you, and when it requires continuous learning, you struggle to accept this.
4. The Soloist:
You resist seeking professional support and development, viewing it as an admission of weakness.
5. The Expert:
You believe that when you acquire comprehensive knowledge, you gain credibility, and without feeling that you have mastered the right amount, you delay contributing.
The first step in overcoming Imposter Syndrome is recognising your avatar from the above list. When you raise your self-awareness, it helps to positively inform and assist you in developing effective strategies to manage it.
Do you need support with Imposter Syndrome?
Here Are a Few Examples of Imposter Syndrome in Professional Settings
Consider these fictitious scenarios
Jennifer, the Newly Promoted Manager:
She has been promoted after years of dedication and being a top-producing team member, but Jennifer doubts her leadership abilities. She fears her team will see her facade and judge her incompetence and lack of requisite leadership skills.
Mike, the Recent Hire:
Starting his new job, Mike feels outpaced by his colleagues, many of whom have several years of experience, but despite this fact, he is internally questioning his appointment.
These examples underscore how Imposter Syndrome in a new role can really challenge one’s perception of events. However, by embracing a growth mindset, one can define and identify new opportunities and pathways to resilience and fulfilment.
Emotional Phases of Entering a New Role
There are often distinct emotional stages that accompany these types of scenarios:
1. Anticipation of the new role:
This can trigger feelings of the need to contribute and prove yourself on the job.
2. Adjustment:
New tasks and responsibilities may trigger feelings of uncertainty brought about by the need to test your own abilities.
3. Comparison:
Observing other colleagues may lead a person to constantly compare themselves to others, creating uncomfortable feelings of doubt.
4. Struggle:
Early difficulties in the learning process may heighten self-doubt.
5. Stabilisation:
Over time, you will be able to adapt and build self-confidence, resilience and self-assurance. When you develop more awareness of this progression and pattern, you are able to reflect and normalise your experience, lessoning or eradicating those unhelpful feelings
The Impact on Your Mental Well-Being
Imposter syndrome, when starting a new job, often becomes a psychological issue which extends beyond work and creates personal emotional distress. Your drive to prove your worth as an expert may result in higher stress levels and intensifying anxiety symptoms that can possibly result in burnout. This significant impact will continue unless you take proactive steps to address it thus affecting your professional and personal life.
Strategies for Managing Impostor Syndrome
To deal with imposter syndrome, you might want to explore and reflect on these ten evidence-based strategies:
Recognise and be alert to your emotional triggers:
As soon as you note negative thoughts arising, you should note them and start working on them to lessen the impact to maintain an optimum state of mental well-being.
Challenge Negative Thoughts
You can do this by countering and challenging your doubts with the actual evidence of your success.
Document Successes:
To build on this behaviour, it’s critical to keep a record of your small wins so you don’t become accustomed to discounting success when it happens, increasing ever more self-awareness.
Establish Realistic and Achievable Goals:
Attempt to break the task down into smaller segments and ensure you take time out to celebrate every achievement you make. This means you are not being self-indulgent and rewarding yourself with lavish meals or gifts. Rather, you purposely set aside a few moments to reflect and acknowledge the achievement of the meaningful goals you have set for yourself.
Research and Investigate Your Support Options:
Talk to trusted colleagues, peers, or outside professionals who specialise in delivering effective self-leadership programmes—more about this later.
Practise Self-Compassion:
It’s important to acknowledge that when you are in a learning process, begin and build upon the habit of being kind and compassionate to yourself—quieten that inner critic and replace it with a more supportive voice.
Pursue Continuous Learning:
All great leaders and successful employees see the constant evolution of their lives and careers as a continuous learning opportunity which shouldn’t stop the moment you graduate from school or university. Obstacles should be seen as development opportunities, and when things don’t work out the first time, they are not labelled as failures; more feedback is needed to improve and fine-tune things for the next time.
Avoid Comparisons:
Perhaps one of the most difficult habits and disciplines to master is avoiding comparisons with other people. What matters most is to compare yourself to how you are developing and improving under your own terms—when you compare yourself to others, more often than not, it’s not a fair comparison, and you only have limited data by which to make the comparison. A more inspiring, positive, resilient approach is to concentrate solely on your journey.
Accept Praise:
Positive feedback should be allowed to build your self-worth, so never dismiss it. In British culture, it’s common for individuals to dismiss their achievements in public for fear of projecting narcissistic behaviours, and depending on our own upbringing, childhood conditioning may present us with some initial hurdles. Looking at this from another lens means when you accept praise, validate and see it through others’ eyes, you help your subconscious accept that it is real, and over time, this habit creates inner confidence.
Envision Success and Adopt Positive Expectations:
LMI has trained thousands of professionals over the years in the art of personal leadership. One of the key pillars of success management is envisioning success in your role to enhance your self-confidence.
All of these steps above can shift your critical mindset and significantly empower you with a more supportive, compassionate inner voice to act as a self-coach.
Practical Tips That Can Be Applied When Starting a New Job
We are now going to review the actions you need to take and the daily habits you need to build upon to help you reduce the symptoms of Imposter Syndrome
Be Patient and Practice Developing This Mindset:
Learning to become competent and accomplished in your new role takes time. It’s obvious, but isn’t it interesting without being mindful of this, our inner critic can jump to incorrect conclusions and comparisons
Pose Questions
When you focus on gaining clarification, it shows that you are keen, self-motivated and not helpless.
Develop and Nurture Relationships
Create a support network to provide you with the guidance and encouragement you need on a day-to-day basis
Value Personal Growth and the Journey Ahead:
Each experience adds to your own skills, so it’s important that even when crises happen or unplanned roadblocks occur, you always frame these as learning opportunities to grow further within your role and as a well-balanced and capable leader.
Acknowledge Progress:
As we mentioned before, celebrate the small wins when they occur, record them and look back on them to see the progress you have made – watch your confidence soar as a result.
These practices, daily habits and actions can significantly ease your transition into your new role and reduce negative self-talk, which can lead to disengagement, loss of drive, personal fulfilment and job success
How Managers Can Help Their Employees Manage Imposter Syndrome
Raise Awareness with Your Manager
When they are made aware of the issue and engage in a supportive conversation with you, they can significantly help you overcome self-doubt.
Define Clear Expectations
Clarity helps eliminate a lot of confusion and self-inflicted pressure, so make sure you define and explain it well.
Give Positive Feedback Regularly
Positive reinforcement helps you internalise the beliefs you develop about your own level of competence on the job.
Create an Open and Honest Relationship
Freedom of communication helps develop a safe space for employees’ concerns. As a manager, these strategies will help your team members.
Imposter Syndrome Among Leaders
As a senior leader, you are not immune to imposter syndrome despite many believing that this phenomenon mainly affects younger, less experienced employees. You may doubt your leadership skills or your ability to make sound, well-balanced decisions. To address this:
Trust Yourself and Your Background:
Your experience has already got you to this level, so reflect on this and learn to have that wholehearted belief in your skill and abilities
Embrace Leadership Growth:
Leadership is a continual learning process; it is not an event in itself. This means that when you get promoted, you are not expected to have all the answers – on the contrary, leadership development is a lifelong journey and never a short-term sprint. Good leadership means listening to your team, making sure everyone is heard, and collectively solving problems.
Pinpointing Your Triggers
Establishing the root causes of your impostor syndrome is crucial, and with time and understanding, you will be able to do this successfully.
Triggers may include: –
Performance Reviews:
It is possible that the fear of getting feedback may cause even more fear, so when you know that this is just part of the ongoing process of assessing where you are on your journey, focusing on the learnings and forgetting any irrational judgements you might make significantly helps keep you on track and develop quickly.
New On-the-Job Challenges:
For some professionals, the prospect of taking on new assignments may mean they experience a decrease in self-confidence. Again, it’s important to become self-aware, notice these triggers when they occur, and consider keeping a daily journal.
Comparisons:
We can fuel and enhance self-doubt by comparing ourselves to others, so you can avoid moments like these by engaging in the habit of self-reflection on a regular basis
Creating and Nurturing a Confident and Empowering Business Culture
An organisation that nurtures confidence can help to minimise impostor syndrome from taking hold in employees. In this regard, leaders can:
Prioritise Effort:
Instead of concentrating on the outcome, consider focusing on the amount of effort an employee put into their work.
Encourage Candour and Create an Open Workplace Environment
It’s essential that if you are going to create a highly empowering environment at work openess and trust is essential. Employees will feel comfortable sharing their concerns without being criticised and their voice and opinion will be recognised and seen as an opportunity to improve and learn.
Support Development:
Lead by example and show how much importance you place on development by sharing ways and means of improving your personal development. It’s important to be authentic and congruent in your actions, and employees and new hires will realise this is the culture around here. It sets an expectation.
Normalising the Imposter Experience
The impostor feeling is a normal human response to growth, and the majority of working professionals experience it at some point in their careers. Successful people often feel this way when taking on new tasks. Raising awareness means you can easily accept it as part of your growth process, decrease the debilitating effects of imposter syndrome, and increase your rate of personal growth and professional development.
Self-awareness
This is crucial in overcoming self-doubt, so recognising your negativity helps you replace it with objectivity and data that prove to yourself and others your efficiency and effectiveness. For instance, when you think, “I’m not fit for this,” think of the qualities that made you get the new job in the first place. This habit strengthens your mental health and well-being.
Releasing Unrealistic Standards Setting
Unrealistic standards can be a source of self-criticism, so to avoid this from enveloping you, it’s critical that you set realistic goals. It is so much better to focus on progress than on perfection. This change in mindset helps to ease the pressure and supports your growth.
Reframing Errors as Growth
Any new job comes with mistakes, and that is normal. In fact, if you are not making many mistakes, maybe you aren’t pushing yourself enough to begin with. Mistakes are not failures; they are simply feedback.
As we mentioned earlier, see them as an integral part of the learning process and as a way to strengthen your perseverance and wisdom.
Affirming Your Intrinsic Value Your Self-worth
Ultimately, this is not based on the results. It comes from your work and your contribution. Everyone will encounter setbacks, so tell yourself that when the going gets tough, this is normal. The harder the setbacks, the greater the feeling of accomplishment when you finally prevail.
When Professional Help Is Warranted
If impostor syndrome becomes so paralysing, then getting professional help may be the way forward in the form of a specially trained counsellor or therapist. These specialist professionals can help you identify strategies to work through self-doubt. If, however, your imposter syndrome is not debilitating but is holding you back, then investing in a proven results, guaranteed, Effective Personal Leadership programme may be the solution you have been looking for.
Taking the Next Step:
Enquire About LMI’s Personal Leadership Programme
If you are on your way to managing imposter syndrome and building your confidence, consider growing your personal leadership impact through systematic and structured leadership development.
The personal leadership programme by LMI is a great way to develop your skills, increase self-awareness, and gain the resilience that will propel your career to new heights.
This programme is for people like you who are willing to tackle self-doubt and learn continually to enable you to lead with authenticity and confidence. The LMI personal leadership programme supports your career development with relevant strategies, tools, insights, coaching, and training to help you overcome negative thoughts, use positive feedback, and deal with new challenges.
This world-leading programme from an organisation with over 65 years of experience in this field offers you an opportunity to fast-track your development and create lifelong skills and habits.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about Imposter Syndrome below.
It is normal to experience imposter syndrome when starting a new job. Unknown factors and performance pressure can cause you to doubt yourself, but such feelings tend to fade as you gain experience in your work.
The Perfectionist is fixated on unrealistic standards; The Superhero overworks to prove worth; The Natural Genius expects ease; The Soloist avoids help; and The Expert needs exhaustive knowledge. Each type determines how you feel and behave when experiencing imposter syndrome.
There isn’t a particular syndrome that describes starting a new job, but imposter syndrome in a new role is when someone feels they don’t belong in the position despite having the qualifications for it. It represents the process of taking on new duties.
Therapeutic support from either a therapist or coach enables patients to develop confidence while gradually fighting off their self-doubting thoughts.
Perfectionism or past experiences of high expectations may cause imposter syndrome, but it can be triggered by new job challenges. These factors create a cycle of self-criticism, resulting in the person feeling like they don’t belong in their new role, like a fraud, like they are faking it, and like an imposter.
If you feel unusual when starting a new job role, this could be due to imposter syndrome or the normal stress of adapting to a new job. The discomfort will fade as you gain experience and become more confident in your new role.
Yes, it is normal to have second thoughts about a job change, especially if imposter syndrome increases your self-doubt about your decision to make a switch. With time and reflection, you may discover that your decision is the right one, and you’ll feel content with your choice.
