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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...
The Globe and Mail: Feeling Like a Fraud
Feeling Like a Fraud Wednesday, June 2, 2004 By Susan Pinker, Special to The Globe and Mail When Prof. Monique Frize was offered a prestigious academic research chair on women in engineering, her first reaction was a sense of foreboding, not pride. Despite past successes as a biomedical engineer in Montreal and as head of biomedical services for New Brunswick’s hospital system, the professor of engineering at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University in Ottawa felt...
The Globe and Mail: Even accomplished workers can fall prey to ‘impostor phenomenon’
Feel like a fraud? Workplace might be to blame Even accomplished workers can fall prey to ‘impostor phenomenon’ Saturday, December 24, 2005 By Virginia Galt It’s not uncommon for high achievers to sometimes harbour fears of inadequacy. Indeed, some organizational psychologists suggest that a little uncertainty is good if it spurs us on to greater efforts. However, some workplaces are so “aggressively competitive” that they make even the most accomplished employees feel unworthy of their...
The Executive Female: The Impostor Phenomenon: Are Achievers Draining Their Companies?
From The Executive Female (magazine published by the National Association of Female Executives) March/April 1986 By Valerie Young, Ed.D Companies as well as individuals pay a high price when achievers secretly feel they have fooled others about their talents. When qualified workers fear risks, get caught in the “expert trap,” and are prone to perfectionism and procrastination, there’s a leak in the corporations human resources pool. Waste in the Workplace The Impostor Syndrome, although...
The Hamilton Spectator: Welcome to the Faker Fringe: Many people, haunted by fear, don’t believe in their own success
Welcome to the Faker Fringe Many people, haunted by fear, don’t believe in their own success April 19, 2006 By Nicola Pulling They say I am a perfectionist. I’m not. I’ve never done anything perfectly. They say I’m too hard on myself. And in my mind, that always leads to: They’re going to find out. I’ve been in documentary television for 15 years. I’ve climbed from researcher-writer to producer-director. I’ve travelled the world for stories. Our teams have won awards. I look like I’m...
Are There Downsides to Success? The Third Metric
“Sharon” called me in a panic. She was being recruited for a great position at a significantly higher level. This new job would put her in charge of more people and a much larger operation. It also came with a huge salary bump. Sharon was excited — and anxious. I’ve been in enough of these conversations to know that my job as a confidence expert was to talk her down off the impostor syndrome ledge. I was supposed to remind her of how normal it is to feel nervous when faced with a new...
Frauds on the Red Carpet? True Confessions of Academy Award Winners
It’s Oscar time again. To watch Hollywood’s finest actors strut their stuff on the red carpet, you would hardly suspect certain stars secretly wonder if they deserve to be there. But according to some past Oscar winners and nominees, they are frauds on the verge of being unmasked. This persistent and all too common lack of belief in one’s abilities has a name — the impostor syndrome. People who experience it attribute their success not to hard work or talent but to things like chance,...
Phony Impostors or Merely the Burden of Great Potential?
“If I can do it, anyone can.” “It’s just because they like me.” “I was lucky this time, but what about next time?” The impostor phenomenon, more commonly known as the impostor syndrome, is well known to millions of high achievers — and to those who could be were it not for lack of confidence. Every day, perfectly capable people drop out of school, take jobs far below their abilities and aspirations and allow long-held creative or entrepreneurial dreams to wither all in an attempt to avoid...
The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women Readers Share Their Success Stories
When you hear of others who’ve overcome long-held, self-limiting beliefs and behaviors it can inspire hope that you can do the same. In the six years since The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women has been out, I’ve received dozens of emails from people who said the book made a difference in their lives. One found the confidence to run for Lieutenant Governor. Several others asked for — and got — long overdue promotions or raises. Others found the courage to take the leap...
Sure You’re Successful – But You Can Explain All That
Do you dismiss your accomplishments as “no big deal” or “If I can do it, anybody can”? Do you agonize over even the smallest flaws in your work or beat yourself up when you make a mistake? Do you feel crushed by even constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence of your “ineptness?” When you do succeed, do you think, “Phew, I fooled ‘em this time but I may not be so lucky next time.” If so join the club. What you’ve just seen is the “impostor syndrome” in action. Despite clear evidence to...
Are You REALLY Afraid of Success?
Visitors to ImpostorSyndrome.com have the opportunity to sign up for free weekly Confidence Builders. I created these to remind people that if you want to stop feeling like an impostor, you have to stop thinking like an impostor. One recent Confidence Builder was pulled from a chapter in The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women called, “Is it ‘Fear of Success’ or Something Else?” It read: “If the work you were doing and the environment in which you were doing it reflected your gifts...