Is it really Imposter Syndrome?
Most of what is written about imposter syndrome is well-intentioned, some of it useful, and some of it is misguided...
Over the next few weeks, I’ll republish a series on imposter syndrome that I wrote when I had few subscribers.
But even if you recall the series, imposter syndrome is something we can all do with being reminded of regularly.
It will be a temporary diversion from my usual format.
This first article is about how I feel that the lines of what imposter syndrome actually is are getting blurred by the day with all the social media coverage it receives…
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Let’s kick off with a fairly common definition:
Imposter Syndrome: A psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalised fear of being exposed as a "fraud", despite evidence of their competence.
Let's break this down.
A psychological pattern
It’s a psychological pattern; in other words, it’s about how we think.
It’s caused by doubts (negative thoughts) that you have about your skills, talents, accomplishments, etc.
But everyone has doubts, right? So, does everyone have imposter syndrome?
I don’t think so.
Part of what makes those feelings imposter syndrome is that those thoughts are inaccurate when compared to the reality of your skills, talents and accomplishments.
So, to be clear, you definitely don’t have imposter syndrome if you think your skills, talents, and accomplishments aren’t up to scratch and that thinking matches the reality…
I see so many people self-diagnosing with imposter syndrome.
By definition, self-diagnosing with imposter syndrome means accepting that your thoughts are inaccurate compared to the reality of your skills, talents, and accomplishments; remember this when you try to tackle it.
Persistent thoughts
Secondly, “persistent” indicates that you have these thoughts often and potentially over a significant time period.
We are not talking about fleeting thoughts of self-doubt here; that’s not the same thing.
Taking that a little further, you could experience imposter-like feelings, but that doesn’t automatically mean you have or suffer from imposter syndrome.
Labelling yourself with imposter syndrome could be quite damaging, especially if you subscribe to a common belief that imposter syndrome never goes away…
Evidence of competency
What makes this different from a bout of self-doubt is the fact that there exists evidence of your competence.
You have a track record, you've done this before, you've proved you’re capable, and even others recognise your skills and accomplishments.
To Summarise Imposter Syndrome:
👉 It’s caused by thoughts that don't match reality.
👉 Those thoughts are persistent.
👉 Evidence exists of your competence.
Everyone has self-doubt and limiting beliefs about what they can and can’t do, and although this may contribute to it, it isn’t, as many people claim, automatically a case of imposter syndrome.
Feeling fear, doubt or a lack of confidence because you’re doing something outside your comfort zone is not necessarily imposter syndrome either.
When you're outside your comfort zone, you may lack evidence of your competence in that situation.
Is that an opportunity for growth? Absolutely.
Are you suffering from imposter syndrome? Not necessarily…
Before assigning yourself such a label, ask yourself:
Is it really Imposter Syndrome?
Five Types of “Imposters”
Many people don’t realise, but if we dig deeper, we find some common types of “imposters”, which might explain why we see so much of it mentioned in software development.
Consider whether you relate to any of these or know someone who does.
According to leading imposter syndrome researcher Dr. Valerie Young, there are five main types of identified "imposters".
The Natural Genius
The Natural Genius is an imposter who easily picks up new skills and expects to understand new concepts quickly.
They set massive goals and become discouraged when they don't succeed immediately.
They believe that competent people can handle anything easily, leading them to feel like a fraud when they struggle.
They may feel ashamed and embarrassed when things don't come easily on their first try, even if they ultimately succeed.
The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist imposter sets super high standards for themselves but is unable to meet them as perfection is unattainable.
They focus on their mistakes instead of their hard work and accomplishments and feel ashamed of what they perceive as failure.
This can lead to avoiding new experiences out of fear of not being able to achieve perfection.
The Soloist
The Soloist imposter prefers to work alone and believes they should be able to handle everything independently.
They base their self-worth on their productivity and reject offers of help, seeing it as a sign of weakness.
Asking for help or accepting support means admitting inadequacies and failure to meet their own high standards.
The Superhero
The Superhero imposter links competence to success in all roles they perform, feeling inadequate if they can't navigate them all successfully.
They push themselves to the limit to prove their worth but still may not be satisfied.
They may think they should be able to do more and that it should be easier.
The Expert
The Expert imposter believes they must know everything about a topic before considering their work a success.
They can spend too much time in pursuit of knowledge and neglect their main tasks.
Despite their skills, they undervalue their expertise and regard themselves as a fraud when they can't answer a question or encounter new information.
They are never satisfied with their level of understanding.
There’s more…
In addition, people suffering from imposter syndrome often attribute their success to external factors, such as coincidence, luck or the actions of others, rather than their own choices, talent, experience, work ethic or values.
You might say they have an external locus of control, and this is a huge contributing factor in how they explain away the body of evidence of their competency that would otherwise back up their current position.
Does it ever go away?
Here’s something I see a lot…
Imposter syndrome never goes away, so get used to feeling like that…
It’s well-intentioned and is often accompanied by sentiments of seeing it as proof that you’re growing...
But I don’t buy it.
You need to be careful.
If you believe that imposter syndrome never goes away, it probably never will.
You won’t try to do anything about it, and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You don’t need to feel like an imposter to prove you’re growing…
There’s a much easier way:
👉 Set goals...
👉 Create a plan…
👉 Take action...
Rich’s Recommendations
Check out my recommendations to improve your wellbeing, mindset, leadership or tech skills:
👍 Basma Taha - Your Guide to Fast-Track Your Software Engineering Career.
Newsletter: An Engineer's Echo
👍 Hemant Pandey - Writes about career growth, study abroad and life experiences.
He's a Tech Lead at Meta.
Newsletter: The Hustling Engineer
👍 Crushing Digital - Dave Roberts
Get help to stand out in the market, land more interviews and get the job you deserve.
👍 NK’s weekly newsletter to learn system design:
Newsletter: System Design Newsletter
👍 Dev Leader’s weekly newsletter to help you level up as a software engineer!
From a Principal Engineering Manager at Microsoft.
Newsletter: Dev Leader Weekly
👍 John Crickett’s weekly coding challenge to help software engineers level up:
Newsletter: Coding Challenges
Closing
This article attempts to get you thinking about whether you’re actually suffering from imposter syndrome.
We already have words that cover most of how we feel, such as self-doubt, a lack of confidence, anxiety, stress…
Jumping to a label like imposter syndrome might feel convenient, but it also suggests something long-term.
Some people even suggest it never goes away…
I completely disagree and believe it could be damaging for you to believe this, turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy…
That being said, we all have a bout of self-doubt here and there, and our confidence often comes in waves…
Here’s what’s coming in the rest of the series:
🟢 5 Key Influences Behind Imposter Syndrome
🟢 My Imposter Syndrome Story
🟢 How to Beat Imposter Syndrome
Remember
There's nothing more important than your own wellbeing!