Why Spotting Impostor Syndrome In Your Clients Is Harder Than It Looks And Ways You’re Getting It Mixed Up
Many coaches are unaware of how often they misdiagnose and mislabel impostor syndrome in their clients
A note to readers: The reason we wrote this post is because we’ve worked with hundreds of coaches and identified the many ways they confuse and conflate impostor syndrome with other things that hold their clients back. If you can relate, discover the only effective methodology for dealing with impostor syndrome and grow your practice as an Impostor Syndrome-Informed Coach™.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you in your coaching ability to spot impostor syndrome in your clients?
Like when a client constantly brushes off their successes with, “I just got lucky.”
Or they regularly minimize their accomplishments by saying things like, “If I can do it… anyone can…” or “It was nothing…”
Or when they confide their fear that people will find out they’re not as intelligent, capable, competent, talented, or qualified as they “think” they are.
In those situations it’s pretty easy to assume impostor feelings.
But there are plenty of people who exude confidence — and still experience impostor syndrome.
People who are amazing leaders, who consistently exceed sales goals, even people like Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, Billie Eilish — even Michelle Obama — are at the top of their careers who admit to impostor feelings.
We assume someone who projects total confidence couldn’t possibly have these feelings.
But in their minds (or perhaps to a trusted co-worker) they second-guess themselves, constantly worrying… “How did I sound? Was that okay?”
So whether you currently see signs of impostor feelings in your clients or not — trust us when we say that you definitely have clients who struggle with it.
Unfortunately impostor syndrome doesn’t go away on its own.
And counterintuitively more success doesn’t help.
The more accomplished we become, the more apt we are to feel like a fraud.
After all, success brings with it more responsibility, more scrutiny, more visibility. There’s further to fall.
And because impostor syndrome is such a multi-faceted, highly nuanced experience, few coaches are equipped to address it effectively .
Be honest with yourself when you answer the question below: YES or NO?
“I feel fully prepared to address a highly nuanced topic like impostor syndrome in my coaching practice.”
- A topic that can intersect with sensitive topics like race, gender, disability, class, age, and language?
- One that is often confused with low self-esteem?
- Or may have nothing to do with childhood trauma and everything to do with specific aspects of your client’s occupation?
If you answered no — or even, “I’m not sure”…
You can choose to bring your clients solutions by becoming impostor syndrome-informed.
Based on our four decades experience, becoming impostor syndrome-informed means the ability for you to:
- Accurately identify impostor syndrome and distinguish it from normal performance anxiety
- Understand the difference between impostor syndrome and low self-esteem
- Know and be able to contextualize the seven (7) potential source(s) of impostor syndrome for your clients
- Recognize largely unconscious behaviors associated with impostor syndrome including how these behaviors serve us and at what cost
- Having access to concrete, practical and proven immediately usable tools your clients can use to that help them feel as bright and capable as they really are
- Support your client’s process of “unlearning” impostor thinking so they can achieve their goals with less unnecessary stress
- Possess valuable insight into how your own impostor thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may be holding you and your practice or career back
When you deliver better results for your clients… you attract more clients.
When you attract more clients… you grow your practice.
When you grow your practice you serve more people.
When you serve more people, you have more impact.
To be effective and grow your coaching practice requires credibility.
The kind of credibility and confidence that comes with having the information, insight, and tools you need to accurately identify impostor syndrome and more effectively coach your clients who experience it.
Learn about The Impostor Syndrome-Informed Coach™ program.
This 100% virtual course offers 25 Continuing Coaching education (CCE) credits from the International Coaching Federation (ICF.)
VALERIE YOUNG is co-founder of Impostor Syndrome Institute. An internationally recognized thought leader for four decades, she has delivered her Rethinking Impostor Syndrome™ program to over half a million people at such diverse organizations as Pfizer, Google, NASA, Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. Valerie earned her doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she was helped found the Social Justice Education program, a forerunner to today’s DE&I training. Although her early research focused on professional women—over half of whom were women of color—much of the original findings have proven applicable to anyone with impostor feelings. Her book has been reprinted in five languages.
Click here now to learn how you can bring Valerie in to speak at your organization.
