Imposter syndrome, or the imposter phenomenon, is when you doubt your own abilities and feel like a fraud even when you’ve done well. You may think that your accomplishments are because of chance or external factors, not your skills or efforts, which means that you have a chronic concern that you will be discovered.
It was first defined by psychologists Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance in the late 1970s among high-achieving, successful women, but now it is known to affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, or occupation. It is not a psychiatric disorder, not listed in DSM-5 or ICD-10, but it can be a serious problem for your mental health, causing anxiety, depression, and fear of failure that prevents you from realizing your potential. This feeling can create a cycle of high goals, a lot of work to achieve them, and then discount your success, thus putting pressure on yourself to have to prove yourself over and over again.
How Common Is Imposter Synrome?
Imposter syndrome is quite common according to various studies, which put the prevalence at 9-82%, though it is most common among minority groups and professionals such as doctors. It is most common in competitive industries, and you might feel better knowing that about 70% of people experience it at some point in their lives, which makes it a pretty normal human experience. It exists among both genders and all ages, including adolescents and professionals in their late careers, and is especially common in medicine and academia. If you feel like an imposter, do not worry; you are not the only one; it is a common phenomenon, and once you know that it is common, you may be able to deal with it. At Transformational Leadership Consulting, we have experience in helping people through Imposter Syndrome Coaching, and become the most confident version of themselves.
How Do You Manage It?
It is possible to manage the imposter syndrome by keeping records of your achievements to boost your confidence and rephrasing the negative thoughts to be more realistic. Your friends, loved ones or even a mental health professional can be of great help, and learning to be kind to yourself and to accept mistakes is a part of the learning process. Setting realistic goals may also help reduce pressure and thus help you stop the cycle of self-doubt.
What Triggers Imposter Syndrome?
It can arise from various causes that may be traced back to the early years of a person’s life and the social environment. Family is an important factor; having parents who are very critical or coming from a family that prizes achievement can cause anxiety about failing and the need to prove oneself.
Cultural norms on success vary across cultures and can make one feel inferior if one buys into these norms. Personality characteristics such as perfectionism, neuroticism, and the tendency to compete with others are also a major cause, as well as experiences of oppression, especially for minority groups.
These feelings can also be triggered by life experiences like starting a new job or enrolling in a new academic program, as well as by broader factors like organizational culture that perpetuates self-doubt. These triggers, as explained in a 2020 study on contextualizing imposter syndrome (Frontiers | Contextualizing the Impostor “Syndrome”), can assist you in identifying when you are more at risk and what you can do to prevent it.
Can Imposter Syndrome be Diagnosed?
As it is not a formal mental disorder, there is no official diagnosis; however, you can recognize it yourself in its manifestations. It is not included in the DSM-5 or ICD-10, and therefore, there are no standardised criteria for its diagnosis by clinicians, but there are self-report measures like the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) which can be used. This 20-item scale, created in 1985, is a scale to assess the level of impostor feelings on how much the statements are relevant to you, with those candidates scoring higher indicating higher levels of imposter syndrome (Impostor Phenomenon Measurement Scales: A Systematic Review). The awareness of these feelings without the label is important because it creates a basis for their effective management.
Do you need support with Imposter Syndrome?
Is it more common for women to have impostor syndrome?
A 2023 meta-analysis showed that women scored higher on impostor syndrome scales than men, with a mean effect size of 0.27, which could be due to social expectations and gender roles (Gender differences in impostor phenomenon: A meta-analytic review). However, the studies also show that men can also experience it as well and it is not only exclusive to women, or high acheving women.
It is influenced by cultural background and personality among other factors. The controversy highlights the need for a more nuanced perspective, as while women may report it more, imposter syndrome is a common phenomenon and systemic factors play a big role.
How does perfectionism relate to imposter syndrome?
They are connected in that perfectionists set high expectations and are afraid of failure if they cannot meet them. You may feel like a failure or a fraud if you do not reach perfection, which aligns with the basic tenets of the imposter cycle and syndrome. Impostor syndrome is often seen in perfectionists, which means that they work a lot and dismiss their achievements.
How can you overcome the impostor phenomenon?
This involves setting achievable goals, being kind to oneself, and perceiving failures as learning experiences to break this cycle. Keep a daily record of positive feedback comments and make it a daily habit to reflect on these achievements to help you change your perspective and begin to erase self-doubt.
Why do I fear success?
Imposter syndrome presents this fear of success due to the belief that success generates higher performance standards, the fear that others will discover your incompetence when judged or the guilt when you earn success while having less privileged roots.
Success may bring you complacency issues along with increased pressure because people notice you more after reaching your goals.
What are the varying types of Imposter Syndrome?
Dr. Valerie Young developed five categories of imposter syndrome that manifest as follows:
The Perfectionist
Your self-image takes a hit whenever you fail to achieve perfection because you believe any less than perfection demonstrates your incompetence.
The Expert
You believe you must know everything to be competent, feeling like an imposter if there’s something you don’t know.
The Natural Genius
You believe that intelligence should appear effortlessly since any effort or hardship demonstrates your lack of ability.
The Superhuman
You believe that success requires being superior in every domain, so you end up working hard to achieve this ideal.
The Soloist
You believe that independence means doing everything on your own, and any need for assistance makes you feel incompetent.
A helpful article to help you identify your specific type through the analysis can be found when you reference a 2022 article on imposter syndrome types, “5 Types of Imposter Syndrome and How to Stop Them” The Muse enables you to develop a targeted management plan for your symptoms.
Are you showing symptoms of imposter syndrome?
You should look for warning signs like internal conflicts about your abilities alongside achievements, the tendency to explain success through luck, fear of incompetence discovery, excessive goal-setting, inferiority feelings when compared to others and concurrent anxiety or depressive symptoms. Everyone has self-doubt at some point yet when imposter feelings persist you need to take action.
How does experiencing Imposter Syndrome present itself to people?
Imposter syndrome creates an ongoing internal doubt that whispers “You don’t belong here” or “They will discover your incompetence.” You could experience anxiety while taking on new tasks because you might think “My luck will run out this time” or “They don’t actually realise how stupid I am” which can create fear and depression and makes you withdraw from others. Knowing that many successful people share your experience can bring comfort and help you fight against these thoughts.
What can the impact of Life Imposter syndrome be on people’s lives?
It can create substantial effects which harm your career performance through reduced job satisfaction and decreased productivity and increased burnout thus causing you to step back from opportunities.
Personal relationships suffer from it because it leads to excessive criticism and difficulties with receiving appreciation. At the same time, mentally it produces symptoms including anxiety depression and, low self-esteem and physical problems like headaches and insomnia. A 2019 systematic review (Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review) highlights how these effects occur, thus demonstrating why treatment is necessary to protect your well-being.
How do you deal with Imposter Syndrome?
The management of imposter syndrome requires people to challenge their negative thoughts while building a realistic picture of their capabilities. People who experience imposter syndrome can improve their situation by writing down their accomplishments and transforming negative thoughts into positive ones while reaching out to loved ones or family or a mental health specialist. They can also show themselves compassion through kindness realistic goal-setting and learning from failures. The journey to overcome it requires patience and recognition of small victories, as noted in the 2025 article about coping tips (Imposter Syndrome: Causes, Types, and Coping Tips).
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with LMI’s Effective Personal Leadership Programme
If you find yourself consistently pretending to be competent at your work while anticipating others will discover your actual limitations then you are not alone in experiencing imposter syndrome because it affects many people.
The good news?
The Effective Personal Leadership programme at LMI provides you with everything you need to overcome your persistent doubts about your abilities while helping you achieve your complete potential.
From the start of this twelve-lesson programme, you’ll learn about self-leadership because nobody can lead others until they lead themselves.
Lesson one introduces the idea of believing in your inner potential, which you haven’t developed yet. Building a strong self-image requires time rather than quick solutions because it involves both recognising existing strengths and developing them into a foundation.
When you realise the capable person that others have already recognised in you it creates a liberating feeling. LMI walks together with you instead of standing in front of you to deliver information. The training programme incorporates spaced repetition together with multi-sensory learning to create lasting retention of lessons through reading combined with listening and individual coaching that reprograms your self-perception.
The programme confronts imposter syndrome at its source to assist you in liberating yourself from past boundaries and self-limiting habits that tell you lack enough qualities.
Through this programme, you’ll discover how to claim ownership of your personal growth while developing meaningful goals and taking action with passion. LMI states that your vivid imagination, coupled with ardent desire, sincere belief, and enthusiastic action, will lead to its inevitable manifestation.
The programme extends beyond it’s 4 month duration because it delivers lasting change. Through to the programme’s completion you’ll develop into someone who relishes their work while using newly acquired mindsets that demonstrate motivated behaviour.
Conclusion
You are not alone in your experience with imposter syndrome while you face the challenges of your journey. Knowledge about triggers and effects along with effective coping strategies will help you escape the pattern of self-doubt. A pattern of distraction coupled with excessive self-proving behaviour will eventually result in burnout.
Seek the support you need now—find someone to support you while being kind to yourself and acknowledging your accomplishments. You deserve success because of proper tools. Programmes and supportive people enable you to conquer imposter syndrome while reaching your untapped potential.
Reach out today if you would like to discuss how LMI’s Effective Personal Leadership Programme could help and support you.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about Imposter Syndrome below.
When you experience imposter syndrome, you will doubt your right to succeed and your abilities even though others view you positively. You hear this inner voice tell you that you are a fake who will get caught while your accomplishments and skills remain unnoticed.
Five different types of imposter syndrome exist according to various discussions: The Perfectionist sets unattainable standards, so they feel like a failure whenever they make any mistakes; The Superhero works excessively to validate their worth; The Natural Genius expects everything to come effortlessly and feels defective when things become complicated; The Soloist refuses help because they believe asking for assistance displays weakness; The Expert believes they must understand everything before they can demonstrate competence.
You can treat imposter syndrome by developing different mental perspectives, which include acknowledging your achievements and sharing your emotions with someone you trust. Therapeutic support from either a therapist or coach enables patients to develop confidence while gradually fighting off their self-doubting thoughts.
The workplace experience of imposter syndrome produces that uncomfortable belief that you do not deserve your position or promotion despite performing well. Your fear about being discovered as unqualified by your colleagues can lead you to work excessively or stay back from taking necessary risks.
Those who experience imposter syndrome might demonstrate excessive humility when celebrating their achievements or work too hard to prevent others from discovering their supposed shortcomings. People with this condition tend to avoid expressing themselves and seek help and experience continuous anxiety about their work performance. This is common in a new role, and for more information please read our blog on ‘Imposter Syndrome in a New Role‘
Internal pressures such as perfectionism and low self-esteem combine with external influences which include high expectations from family or being in environments where you feel out of place. Doubt plants this seed which expands whenever you measure your abilities against others or worry about not meeting the standards you created.
