What’s the underlying problem with women’s imposter syndrome? How does imposter syndrome prevent leadership growth?
Jemma Rodel says that strong leadership and skillful communication hinge on self-confidence. The problem is that self-confidence is often hard to achieve for women because of imposter syndrome.
Below, we’ll define imposter syndrome, explore how it undermines self-confidence, and discuss strategies to combat it.
How Imposter Syndrome and Other Self-Confidence Struggles Affect Women
According to Roedel in She Thinks Like a Boss, many women’s imposter syndrome is a real problem in the workplace. Imposter syndrome can manifest in several ways:
- You may have trouble believing that you deserve the accolades you receive.
- You may feel like you’re a fraud, and you’ve tricked everyone into believing that you’re meant to be in your current position.
- You might fear that one day, the people around you will figure out that you’re not qualified to be where you are, and everything will fall apart when this happens.
Roedel cites research that suggests imposter syndrome affects more women than men. Many women in executive positions report feelings of imposter syndrome and state that they never expected to be as successful as they are. This contributes to a general lack of confidence in their performance at work.
Struggles with self-confidence may manifest in many other ways that hinder women’s professional success. For instance, low self-confidence often leads to perfectionism, which then leads to micromanagement and, consequently, dampens team spirit.
Women are less likely to advocate for raises or apply for jobs unless they know for sure that their efforts will be successful. Likewise, women often pass the credit on to someone else when they do well.
Strategies for Combating Imposter Syndrome and Cultivating Self-Confidence
Roedel says there are many ways to combat imposter syndrome and improve your self-confidence. Let’s look at three of her strategies:
Strategy #1: Be Afraid and Do It Anyway
Imposter syndrome can stop you from acting because you believe you’re going to fail. To work through this, Roedel suggests that you start doing things even when you’re afraid. If you succeed, it could be a huge boost to your self-confidence and serve as evidence that you deserve to be where you are. If you don’t succeed, you’ll still know that you were brave enough to try, which can improve your confidence as well.
Strategy #2: Start Advocating for Yourself in Small Ways
When you struggle with self-confidence (as many women do), you might find it difficult to advocate for yourself at work. To build up your confidence to self-advocate, Roedel advises that you begin requesting small things. This helps you practice recognizing what you need and expressing that to people who can help you fulfill those needs. Every time you advocate for yourself, your confidence grows. Eventually, you’ll have more confidence to ask for bigger things.
For example, say you’d like to work from home because you focus better that way, but you feel you’ll be an imposition if you ask. You could build your confidence by asking to work from home two days a week to start.
Strategy #3: Collect Evidence of Your Success
According to Roedel, another way to improve your confidence is by collecting notes of appreciation and other positive feedback from others in one physical place. This could be a folder, a notebook, or anywhere else you could keep the notes safe. When you’re not feeling confident, this collection can serve as evidence of your ability to succeed. The items are reminders of your good qualities and the things other people appreciate about you.
