Ejecting the Imposter: Leading with Confidence, Not Self-Doubt

Ria Sharma
5 hours ago
4 min read

71% of CEOs in the United States experience imposter syndrome according to 2024 Korn Ferry, a global consultant and managing firm. The National Institute of Health describes imposter syndrome as a phenomenon where high achieving individuals doubt their intellect, skills, or accomplishments despite objective evidence of their successes. Even those at the top of businesses, who seem like they have it all, struggle with overcoming self doubt; being in positions of leadership increases the visibility and pressure placed on you to perform well, which often leads to heightened anxiety and fear of not being good enough, only worsening imposter syndrome. Given the pertinence of this issue in leaders, let’s do a deep dive into what exactly imposter syndrome is, the consequences of unresolved imposter syndrome, and most importantly, how to eject your inner imposter to lead with confidence.

The term imposter syndrome was coined by psychologists Pauline Rode Clance and Suzzane Imes in 1978 through the publication of “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention”. When discussing with their high achieving clients, they noticed many felt unworthy of their success and felt they did not belong in their graduate programs or amongst their high achieving colleagues, rather believing they had fooled their colleagues as to their intellect and skills. These are hallmark features of imposter syndrome and other characteristics may include self-doubt, overachieving, sabotaging your success, being overly self-critical, fearing failing to meet expectations, and attributing success to outside factors. In fact, there are 5 different types of imposter syndrome:

The Perfectionist: This form of imposter syndrome involves someone who focuses on the quality of their work and requires perfection, otherwise believing they could have improved their work. The imposter feelings arise from the perfectionistic tendencies that cause The Perfectionist to believe they are a fraud when they do not achieve perfection.
The Expert: This type of imposter syndrome is characterized by a focus on needing to always know everything and have all the answers. When they inevitably fail to know everything about a particular subject or process, they believe themself to be an imposter.
The Natural Genius: Those who are “Natural Geniuses” feel like a fraud when they do not believe they are naturally intelligent or competent at a subject of process. When presented with new knowledge or skills that take longer for them to master, the self-doubt creeps in.
The Soloist: This version of imposter syndrome causes someone to believe they must handle everything on their own. When faced with a situation where they must ask for help, they question their competence and abilities, feeling they have failed.
The Superhero: “Superheroes” believe they must be the hardest workers or achieve the most, finding fulfillment in the amount of roles they are able to handle at once. If they fail to sufficiently accomplish the role or fail to achieve the above and beyond, they feel ashamed and doubtful of their abilities.

Knowing which form(s) of imposter syndrome you identify with the most can be incredibly beneficial to better understand and treat your harmful tendencies; take a moment to reflect on your thought patterns and behaviors and decide which type(s) you may be.

It is extremely important to understand your relationship to imposter syndrome to help treat it, as untreated imposter syndrome can lead to a host of consequences for effective leadership. Self-confidence diminishes with imposter syndrome, as those who struggle with it doubt their abilities and competence, hindering their ability to be an effective leader for those who are counting on them to open up and connect. Resentment and jealousy can arise within those with imposter syndrome who see others embracing praise or constructive criticism while they struggle to do so; this creates a strain between colleagues, harming the ability to lead and collaborate as a team. Imposter syndrome may additionally lead to burnout and stress, with lower job performances and poorer mental health outcomes, ultimately leading to ineffective leadership, as the mind is no longer in a healthy place. However, these are only a few of the harmful impacts of imposter syndrome on leadership, making it imperative to understand how to treat it.

Now, how do we eject the imposter within us? Thankfully, there are a myriad of different treatment options for imposter syndrome, so if you try one and it does not work out, there is always a new alternative to try! One option is therapy:

Individual Psychotherapy: In this version of therapy, the roots of imposter syndrome can be identified and treated. Patients can explore their childhood and the negative messages they have retained in their lives that have led to accumulate self-doubt, allowing them to reframe and grow from these experiences.
Group Therapy: This would involve a group of those experiencing imposter syndrome sharing their feelings of self-doubt which can provide comfort in knowing they are not alone. They may also serve as reality checks for each other, boosting each other’s self-confidence in their abilities.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): CPT is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, helping patients understand their harmful beliefs, re-evaluate them, and replace them with helpful thought processes that allow them to escape the negative patterns of thinking.

Aside from therapy, there are countless strategies you can implement in your daily life to remove your inner imposter. Accepting positive feedback from others and increasing positive self-talk helps to internalize that you are not a fraud, rather are still learning. You may also consider keeping a log of compliments you receive and achievements you make as physical evidence of your growth. Additionally, avoid comparing yourself to others, as doing so will only cause you to find a fault within yourself and inflame your self-doubt. Similarly, utilizing social media moderately may increase harmful comparisons, as comparing yourself to idealized versions of people's lives online exacerbates your feelings of being a fraud. When you do inevitably fall into negative thought patterns of harmful comparisons or being overly self-critical, question those thoughts. Are your thoughts productive or are they even true given your log of achievements?

Most importantly, do not let your imposter syndrome hold you back because that is when your inner imposter wins. Keep striving for your dreams no matter how your imposter tries to fool you and always know you are not alone in your battle.