Become and Impostor Syndrome-Informed Coach™
TOP 10 Most-read Articles About Impostor Syndrome
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...
Impostor Syndrome and Perfectionism
There are many potential sources of impostor syndrome. Family messages and expectations, situational factors like being a student, being in a group for whom there are societal stereotypes regarding competence and intelligence, and aspects of organizational culture...
When it Comes to Impostor Syndrome, Do Examine Childhood Messages – But Don’t Get Stuck There
Even well-meaning parents can inadvertently send messages that impact how competent and confident their children later feel. If the only response to earning all As and one B is, “What’s that B doing there?” the child quickly learns that the only thing that’s...
What If I Really AM an Impostor?
Dear Dr. Young, For me, it’s always been about achieving success when I have no business doing so. That’s not to say that I exploit others, far from it! Instead, it’s that I shouldn’t be in the position I am in because I don’t know these things, I don’t have the...
The 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....
Fact Check: Impostor is Not a Scam or Conspiracy
Impostor syndrome is a scam. Worse, it is a deliberate misogynous strategy created to hold women back. Besides, it’s not even real. That was the troubling and wildly inaccurate message of the 2023 commencement speech at Smith College. I know Smith well. The elite...
The 5 Types of Impostor Syndrome
What’s In Your Competence Rulebook? I’ve spent close to four decades helping people who feel like impostors, fakes, and frauds. In that time, I’ve come to an important conclusion: If you want to truly put yourself on the fast track to feeling as bright and capable as...
Is it Impostor Phenomenon or Impostor Syndrome?
There’s been lots of buzz lately about the term impostor “syndrome.” I don’t mean buzz about the actual experience of believing we’ve fool others into thinking we’re more intelligent, capable, or talented as others “know” ourselves to be. What I’m referring to is the...
Who Do You Think You Are to Not Go for It?
Have you noticed how when you dare to go after a dream, resistance is intent on keeping you small? The closer you get to believing that you actually can do it, the more likely you are to receive an unwanted visit from that niggling inner voice. The one that demands...
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...