Imposterism: rebranding, understanding, and using it to your advantage

‘Imposter syndrome’ is popularly recognized as the personal experience of believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be.

The ‘Imposter’ is a highly coveted but hard to achieve character in the popular online game Among Us. It is exactly the opposite in real life. Most of us have, at some point, felt like an imposter/fraud/fake/phony at work, school, during a performance, or in competition. It is neither coveted or rare.

I was pleased to discover three newer bodies of work that can help us better understand imposterism, consider the need to reframe it, and even use it to our advantage. 

First - Research by MIT Sloan Assistant Professor Basima Tewfik (which has focused on the investment industry, medicine, and more) suggests several important points about imposterism:

• ‘Imposter syndrome’ and ‘imposter phenomenon’ are problematic terms. While ‘syndrome’ suggests disease or disorder, ‘phenomenon’ is overly vague. Tewfik prefers ‘imposter thoughts’. This more neutral and common language normalizes an experience many have, and goes the extra mile by suggesting it is a temporary state (as thoughts often are). I am a fan and will be using this terminology in my own work and life moving forward.

• There are upsides: Tewfik did not find negative effects of imposter thoughts on the competencies of people studied (a long-held belief). And, her work suggests people with impostor thoughts are generally more interpersonally effective. Can we focus more on the positives?

• There are downsides: Tewfik did find that imposter thoughts hurt one’s self-esteem. This is not to be discounted. Trying to identify the logical evidence for one being an imposter and weigh it alongside the emotional feelings stemming from imposter thinking might help ground us.

Learn more about Tewfik’s work in this popular article Workplace ‘Impostor Thoughts’ May Have a Genuine Upside, or by reading her original research The Impostor Phenomenon Revisited: Examining the Relationship Between Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Interpersonal Effectiveness at Work.

Second - Harvard Business Review published the article Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome which has lots of good points about inequities around this topic. These three take aways may be most informative to those in highly competitive environments: 

• Imposterism is most common in biased and toxic cultures that value individualism and overwork. Ask yourself if you are embedded within such a culture and how it (not you) may be the problem. Can you talk about it with your peers to find common ground and community?

• Imposterism is most common among high-achievers. If this is you, spend time thinking about what would happen if you came in second, did not get an ‘A’, lost the competition, forgot your lines in the performance, or outright failed. What would be the worst outcome and how could you then move forward? These are personal questions to spend time with.

• Imposterism puts the blame on individuals - focusing on fixing people, not the places they work/school/perform/compete. As you move into positions of leadership remember this. Normalize it by talking about it (I recommend naming it imposter thinking and not calling it a syndrome) and offering your own personal experiences. Gage if it is pervasive where you are, consider how you can be the thermostat for climate and cultural change. Can you embrace risk taking and normalize mistakes or not knowing in your organization?

Learn more about imposter thoughts in the college years by reading Feeling Like Impostors from Inside HigherEd’s Diversity & Inclusion section, Impostor Phenomenon in the Classroom from Brown University’s Sheridan Center, and Imposter Syndrome and its Impact on Mental Health and Performance in College Athletics from SBNation.

Third - Wharton Professor and Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant’s work on imposterism is progressive, engaging and humorous. His WorkLife podcast episode Your Insecurities Aren't What You Think They Are offers three points than can help us harness the power of imposterism. Grant frames these as shifting perception into ‘the sweet spot of confidence’ where one moves away from thinking they are not capable toward thinking they simply have not yet acquired all they need to be successful:

• Use imposter thinking as fuel to work harder. Harnessing self-doubt to motivate a deeper commitment to work can bolster success, help us reach personal goals, and potentially be more productive. However, it is important to stay cognizant of when you are working to excess and increasing the risk of burnout (some signs of burnout: helplessness, detachment, cynicism).

• Imposter thoughts foster openness to consider new ways of doing things (i.e. my way is not the only way). This facilitates willingness to consider suggestions and advice from others, which can lead to positive climate and potentially increase productivity for you and the team.

• Imposterism can make you a better and more willing learner. If you believe (right or wrong) that you lack skill or understanding, you may be more willing to solicit advice and feedback. This proactive approach to learning and growing will only add to your skill-set and knowledge-base.
  

As we move toward the start of another academic year, I hope these resources on imposterism are useful to you. In the future, when you find yourself in a flurry of imposter thinking, just remember it is arguably better than Dunning-Kruger* thinking.

*The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when a person’s lack of knowledge and skills in a certain area cause them to overestimate their own competence.