Imposter Syndrome: More Common than you Think
Hello Dear Friends,
You know, Imposter syndrome is estimated to affect around 70% of people at least once in their lifetime. And while that number may seem high, it’s only normal when you think about it.
In fact, when you take on a new role in your career or transition between sectors, it's natural not to have all the required skills immediately. You start as a beginner, and while that's perfectly okay, most of us will feel undeserving of the opportunity or unqualified to be in that role. In short, we’ll suffer from imposter syndrome.
Now the key rule to remember when moving to a new position, is to act responsibly without pretending to have more knowledge than you do. Indeed, the self-deprecating tendencies underlying imposter syndrome can lead to inauthentic behavior where we presume more knowledge than we have, while harboring a constant social anxiety that we’ll be found out for the fraud that we are.
So, what should you do about it?
1. First, avoid comparing yourself to the previous occupant of the role or an idealized version of yourself that knows everything, ie. You’ll grow into your new role, you’re not expected to fill every requirement right away
2. Acknowledge that you don’t know everything, you shouldn’t be afraid to admit your ignorance and be humble. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know, I’ll look for it and get back to you” or simply ask relevant questions to the people who may be helpful in that regard
3. Take stock of the kind of environment you’re working in:
If your colleagues are Empathetic and Competent: They’ll appreciate your willingness to learn and ask questions. Asking relevant questions is a sign of courage that leads to rapid growth; when you ask questions to learn, you only ask them once
If your colleagues are disagreeable and judgmental: Recognize that you can't control or change some people's opinions. Their judgments makes them judgmental and intolerant, it doesn’t make you unworthy. So if your approach is honest and you’re looking to grow and learn, but your environment remains toxic despite your efforts, then maybe you’re not in the right environment.
In fact, I created many resources to help you work on your self-confidence and overcome problems like imposter syndrome, that I’ll invite you to discover in my course collection.
