RESOURCES
Articles
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 competent or talented as...
What Do You Say to a Huge YouTube Star With Impostor Syndrome?
It seems every day another successful person reveals they have impostor syndrome. Today it's a Brit named Zoella -- a huge YouTube star with millions of fans. Zoella has not asked for my advice. But if she did, here's what I'd tell her: 1) Normalize impostor syndrome Stop expecting yourself to feel confident 24/7. Everyone has moments of doubt and moments of confidence. It's called life. Some of the brightest, most talented people on the planet have impostor feelings. So, join the club! One...
Are Creative People More Susceptible to Impostor Syndrome?
Have you ever had that, “I’m in over my head and they’re going to find out feeling?” If so, join the club! There are a number of perfectly good reasons why you and millions of other fully capable people experience the so-called impostor syndrome. And when you understand this, you’re able to see your own impostor feelings in less personal and more situational terms. For example, one of the factors that fuels impostor feelings is the kind of work you do. Just ask author Jonathan Safran Foer....
10 Steps You Can Use to Overcome Impostor Syndrome
In my more than three decades of speaking and leading workshops on Impostor Syndrome, my focus has always been to share how to overcome impostor syndrome. I’ve spoken to an estimated 500,000 people and up until just a few years ago, I always ended my talks by giving audiences a list of ten ways to deal with impostor syndrome. Audience evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. The one criticism? “I wish she’d given us more solutions.” Or during the Q&A someone would come up to the mic...
Why Embracing Your Impostor Syndrome is a Really Bad Idea
When asked in an interview if he ever felt like an impostor, Saturday Night Live writer and comedian John Mulaney replied: "Oh yeah. Steve Higgins [a producer for SNL] asked me on one of my first one or two days: ‘You feel like a fraud?’ And I said yes, and he said, ‘Good. ’Cause if you didn’t, you’d be an asshole.’ And it’s really true! If you walk in at 25 and you’re like, ‘I got this,’ you’d be insufferable. A couple people in comedy have pulled that off, but I think embracing how...
Oscar Winner Viola Davis on Impostor Syndrome
Is anyone surprised Viola Davis experiences impostor feelings? For starters, Davis is in a creative field. Which means like other actors, writers, artists her work is constantly being judged by objective standards by people whose job title is "professional critic." Where you're only as good as your last performance, your last book, your last painting and in so many ways you really are starting over each time. Next, let's put impostor syndrome in an even larger social context. As a black...
What The Daily Show‘s Jessica Williams Can Teach People With Impostor Syndrome
In 2015 Billfold writer Ester Bloom unwittingly got on the wrong side of The Daily Show‘s Jessica Williams. What unfolded next holds important lessons for anyone grappling with impostor syndrome. It all began when the actress and comedian tweeted her response to the groundswell of fan support to replace departing anchor Jon Stewart. For someone as accomplished as Williams to describe herself as “extremely under-qualified” just didn’t ring true to many admirers, Bloom among them. So she...
Is the Impostor Syndrome All Bad?
An article in the Abu Dhabi English-edition daily, The National, approached the impostor syndrome from a unique angle. Most articles focus on the anxiety of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Instead this Middle East reporter says impostor syndrome can be an indicator that you care about your work. It’s true that people who feel like impostors do indeed care deeply about the quality of their work. So to ensure they do a stellar job people with impostor syndrome tend to study harder, work...
Inc. Why Do So Many Successful Entrepreneurs Feel Like Fakes?
The Impostor Syndrome Why Do So Many Successful Entrepreneurs Feel Like Fakes? September 2006 By Leigh Buchanan By most definitions, Bud Stockwell has hit the personal-fulfillment trifecta. At 53, he owns a profitable $2 million health food store called Cornucopia. His business is a beloved institution in Northampton, Massachusetts. Cornucopia also satisfies its founder’s activist urges by providing a platform from which to promote natural, healthy living. In fact, Cornucopia is such...
Glamour: Convinced you’re not up to the job?
Are You Suffering from Impostor Syndrome? Convinced you’re not up to the job? Here’s how to beat your internal fraud squad September 2005 You’re smart and successful, so why do you feel like a failure? It may be you have Impostor Syndrome, a term coined by clinical psychologist Dr. Pauline Clance, to describe doubt in your own abilities and fear of not maintaining your success. Glamour reveals some expert tips to ensure you put your trust in your talent. You Land a Promotion You...
The Boston Globe: The Impostor Phenomenon When Even The Most Successful People Have a Gnawing Feeling They’re Fakes
Imposter Phenomenon When Even The Most Successful People Have a Gnawing Feeling They’re Fakes March 22, 1986 By Carol Stocker, Globe Staff A certified public accountant who receives the highest test score in the CPA Boards in the state of Massachusetts attributes her success to the fact that “it’s a small state.” After applying for a job in Boston, a woman is told she is the best candidate the search committee has seen. She attributes the good impression to the fact that the interview was...
