On Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt

I have found over the years that many of my coaching clients struggle with Imposter Syndrome. I too have struggled with it but I never truly believed it was completely a bad thing. I often straddled between “I’m confident in my abilities” and “I don’t know enough”. 

Photo by Mulyadi on Unsplash

I started wondering where to draw the line between Imposter Syndrome and self-doubt and what it looks like when it’s healthy and unhealthy. Reflecting on my own experience and growth, healthy self-doubt meant I continued to be curious about what I knew and what I thought I knew. It meant that I continued to learn and seek wisdom from others when I felt uncertain. 

When it crept up in unhealthy ways it led to procrastination, an inability to move forward and self-deprecating jokes. Unhealthy Imposter Syndrome also led to negative feelings like anxiety, stress and frustration.

And so I really liked the chapter from Adam Grant’s Think Again: The Armchair Quarterback and the Imposter. A quote stuck out: “Feeling like an imposter puts us in a beginner’s mindset, leading us to question assumptions that others have taken for granted”.

The more senior I’ve become the more I've felt like an imposter. I’ve become so aware that there’s so much that I don’t know and so much that I’ll never know. When I went for coaching for imposter syndrome, it wasn’t the coach telling me what to do that shifted things for me, it was the coach staying curious and challenging my thinking. 

So when self-doubt arises now, I tap into curiosity rather than the shame of “shoulds”. How can I use curiosity to explore what’s true for me?

Some questions I like to ask myself are:

• What do you currently know about x?

• Is this putting you in your stretch zone or your panic zone? How can you tell?

• If you had all the knowledge and experience you think would help, what would be different?

• What would x (an experienced person I trust) do in this situation?

• What support do I need?

And if I’m really feeling lost I will reach out to one of my wisdom people and check in. I like to surround myself with people who not only support me but also challenge my thinking. I’ve also learnt that I may not know everything but I’m resourceful, inquisitive and always willing to learn new things. 

“If we’re certain that we know something, we have no reason to look for gaps and flaws in our knowledge – let alone fill or correct them” - Think Again, Adam Grant