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Unpacking Michelle Obama’s Impostor Syndrome
In a December 2018 talk at an all-girls school in North London, Michelle Obama was asked how she felt about being viewed as a “symbol of hope.” That’s when the former First Lady disclosed something countless millions of women and men worldwide experience, but often don’t have a name for. “I still have a little [bit of] impostor syndrome, it never goes away, that you’re actually listening to me.” Impostor syndrome describes a core belief that we’re not as bright or...
Dear Michelle Obama, White Men Feel Imposter Syndrome Too
In response to: Michelle Obama Discusses White Men and Impostor Syndrome at SXSW London Dear Michelle Obama, I am a huge fan (understatement). Clear by my article, “Unpacking Michelle Obama’s Impostor Syndrome.” So I was intrigued by this MSN article about you, which read: “Speaking candidly during a live podcast event, she pulled back the curtain on elite power circles to address the persistent anxiety known as impostor syndrome.” “She noted a stark divide in how this self-doubt manifests,...
Impostor Syndrome and Procrastination
No one chooses to experience impostor syndrome. That nagging belief that, despite evidence of past accomplishments, you’ve somehow fooled others into thinking you’re more intelligent, talented, or capable as others know you to be. But whether you know it or not, you have chosen ways to handle it. In their work as therapists and facilitating personal growth groups, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, co-namers of the impostor phenomenon, identified four coping and protecting mechanisms...
Impostor Syndrome and the Dark Triad
If you don’t feel like an impostor, that means you are one. Presumably, this news is intended to reassure those of us who’ve experienced that “I’m in over my head and they’re going to find out” feeling popularly known as impostor syndrome. There’s just one problem. The claim that only a “real impostor” would never feel like one is based on neither evidence nor a deep understanding of impostor syndrome. But that hasn’t stopped an increasing number of prominent and otherwise insightful people...
From Impostor Syndrome to Humble Realist™
I believe most people want to do their best work. But when you feel like an impostor, “best” means expectations that go far beyond doing well. Over the years, you’ve adopted assumptions about what’s required for you to be considered talented, knowledgeable, skilled, or, in a word, “good” enough. Assumptions that have everything to do with how competent and confident you feel. The fact that everyone else sees a competent individual, where you see an inadequate fraud, tells me that you...
What a Big Bang Theory Astronaut Learned About Impostor Syndrome
I’d just finished speaking at the University of British Columbia (UBC) when a doctoral student approached me and whispered, “I only believe half of what you said.” The part he believed was that the hundreds of students sitting with him in the auditorium that day were, in fact, not impostors. The part he didn’t believe was that he was one of them. In other words, he believed he was the only “real” impostor. As evidence, he told me he’d failed his qualifying exam to complete his doctorate at...
It’s Not All About You
One of my clients had spent years lovingly caring for an ailing parent. After “Kim’s” mother passed, she began to write a play about her experience. Then she stopped. “What if my play is a hit?” she said, “Then I’d have to play big.” Kim wasn’t afraid of failure; she was afraid of success.I invited Kim to imagine a sold-out theater full of people… … to feel the excitement in the crowd… …to know that among them were people who’d been through a similar experience and were eager for their...
To Overcome Impostor Syndrome: Banish Competence Extremism
Valerie Young, Ed.D. Co-Founder, Impostor Syndrome Institute It’s been well over 20 years since I identified the five types of impostor syndrome. The Perfectionist, Expert, Natural Genius, Soloist, and Superhuman each reflect an extreme view of what it means to be competent.* With competence extremism, there is no middle ground. Instead, we judge our intelligence or abilities based on where we think we are on a continuum represented by dazzling brilliance at one end and gross inadequacy on...
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: The Perfectionist’s View of Competence
For the Perfectionist, there is a single focus, and that is how something is done. Your competence rule book is relatively straightforward. I should deliver an unblemished performance 100 percent of the time. Every aspect of my work must be of the highest standard. Nothing short of perfect is acceptable. When you fail to measure up to these unrealistically high standards, it only confirms your feelings of impostorism. Some Perfectionists hold themselves to these exacting standards,...
Coaching People With Impostor Syndrome
I just received notice from Random House that a publisher in Bulgaria wants to publish my book! That makes translations in Italian, Korean, Czech, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian (in Ukraine), and later this year, Ukrainian and Turkish. I’m not telling you this to impress you. I’m telling you this to underscore that the global demand for solutions to impostor syndrome has never been stronger. And with that, the need for informed coaches, mentors, and advisors who can effectively address this...
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome is Easier Said Than Done
Seeing my work cited in articles on tackling impostor syndrome is always a treat. Sometimes more so than others. Like the blog post that featured my solutions before concluding that implementing them is “easier said than done.” The writer was surprised when I chimed in to say she was absolutely right!Anything that evokes meaningful change is “easier said than done.”It’s easier to say you want to lose weight than to lose weight (trust me, I know).It’s easier to say you want to...