Issue 2 | May 3, 2024
IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURED ARTICLE
The True Opposite of Impostor Syndrome
WHAT’S NEW AT IMPOSTOR SYNDROME INSTITUTE
FREE Coach Info Session: The Truth About Impostor Syndrome
THIS WEEK’S REFRAME
FEATURED RESOURCE
Fifty percent of all doctors graduated at the bottom of their class.”
James Piper
The True Opposite of Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome describes the tendency to dismiss evidence of our accomplishments.
To believe instead that we’ve fooled others into thinking we’re more intelligent or capable than we “know” ourselves to be and that it’s just a matter of time before we’re found out.
But what’s the opposite of impostor syndrome?
In Valerie Young’s 2017 TED Talk she referred to people who don’t experience impostor syndrome simply as “non-impostors.”
Even then, she knew the term was not ideal because people with impostor feelings might interpret it to mean that “non-impostors” are the competent ones.
As imperfect as the term is, it beats the alternative of positioning impostor syndrome’s opposite as one of two undesirable characteristics: incompetence an arrogance.
The Truth About Impostor Syndrome: How to Be More Confident and Effective as an Impostor Syndrome-Informed Coach
With up to 82% of people dealing with impostor feelings, this is an urgent problem that requires a nuanced solution. We need more coaches who are impostor syndrome-informed!
As you learned here, the opposite of impostor syndrome is not incompetence or arrogance.
But that doesn’t mean overconfidence isn’t a problem.
Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University, and as well as Chief Talent Scientist at Manpower Group, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks two powerful questions:
Why is it so easy for incompetent men to become leaders?
And why is it so hard for competent people — especially competent women — to advance?
You can find the answers in his book, Why Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (and How to Fix It), TED Talk, or Harvard Business Review article (subscription required).
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