Impostor Syndrome: Feeling Unconfident in One's Own Abilities

Written by: Irina Dewi – TALKINC Facilitator

Feeling unsure about one's abilities is something that is commonly experienced by professionals.But do you feel like you are a fraud by eliminating your own competence and achievements, let alone assuming that everything you achieve is a matter of chance?Be careful, you might face something called Impostor Syndrome!

Impostor syndrome is actually not a new term, although its resonance has only been felt in the last 5 years.This term first appeared in 1978 through an article written by two psychologists named Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, entitled 'The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention.'People who have impostor syndrome often believe that the achievements they achieve are just a 'coincidence', not the result of hard work and abilities.Although this journal focuses on women, further research also shows that this syndrome often also occurs in men.

Symptoms of impostor syndrome include excessive self-doubt, tending to underestimate achievements and attributing one's success to external factors such as luck, worry that other people will discover that we are actually incompetent, often feeling the need to continually prove ourselves to others excessively, and often delaying work because we are afraid of appearing imperfect.If you have some of these symptoms, don't worry, you're not alone.I experienced it too.Even though I have worked in the field of communication for more than 20 years, I sometimes feel that I do not have enough competence to teach communication.Yes, I've been practicing communication as a professional for more than 20 years, but teaching is a whole new ball game and I often feel that I was fooling everyone.When I tried to find out more about this syndrome, I found that several successful people I admired also admitted to experiencing this syndrome, such as Maya Angelou, Neil Gaiman, even Michele Obama, even though their competence was beyond question.

How to overcome it?If you think you have this syndrome, great.You've already taken the first step, because you're becoming aware of it.The first step is to be aware of your challenges before trying to fix them.For me, what I do in dealing with this very counterproductive syndrome is to silence the negative voices in my head, stop underestimating my own competence and achievements, don't compare myself with other people, and have lots of dialogue with people who are aware of my strengths.Be kind to yourself.And most importantly, stop postponing work.Procrastinating on work is a habit that people who suffer from impostor syndrome often do because they are obsessed with perfection.Focus on progress and process, not just the results.

If you want to know more about Impostor Syndrome, there is several literature you can read, such as:
1. The Impostor Syndrome: Becoming an Authentic Leader, Harold Hillman,
2. The Reality of Impostor Syndrome: Overcoming Internalized Barriers to Professional Development, Josephine E. Pemberton, Suzanne J. Imes.
3. Chasing the High: An Entrepreneur’s Mindset Through Imposter Syndrome, Michael G. Dash.