What 87% Of Coaches Get Wrong About Impostor Syndrome And How It’s Undermining Your Credibility

Most coaches don’t realize how this practice dilutes their professional value

TRUE OR FALSE?

One of the best ways to coach a client with impostor syndrome is to encourage them to list their accomplishments and review it often.

It’s counterintuitive but the correct answer is FALSE.

We’ll explain why in a minute. 

For now, please don’t feel bad if you got it wrong.

A full 87 percent of coaches we surveyed did too. 

Why wouldn’t they… or you?

This advice turns up in just about every article on how to cure impostor syndrome.

Heck, even Google auto-completes a sentence like this… 

“Logically” making a so-called success list should work.

Afterall, it’s a tangible reminder of how well your client has done in the past and, therefore, how well they can expect to do in the future. 

Having a list of accomplishments to look back on can be especially helpful for your clients who are students, early-career individuals, new small business owners or anyone whose achievement journey is just beginning. 

And anyone who’s had to update their resume or CV, write an annual self-appraisal, or craft a professional bio knows a success file is a helpful memory jog. 

But you and I both know there’s nothing remotely “logical” about fully capable, intelligent people feeling like impostors, fakes, and frauds.

And as a technique for countering impostor feelings we’ve not found the practice of writing down your accomplishments to have any lasting value. 

Three Problems With Giving Your Clients The Advice To List Their Accomplishments

#1  People with impostor syndrome see their success as mainly due to external factors 

They don’t “forgot” they earned top grades, landed the big account, or won a Grammy. 

The problem is they chalk up their success to external factors like luck or timing, the supposed simplicity of the task, connections, or personality (as if likability wasn’t a valid skill set!) 

So what happens when your client sees they really were in the right place at the right time? 

Or someone really did help them get the interview? 

Or their exceptional people skills really did contribute to closing the sale?

We’ll tell you what happens…

Your client will continue to dismiss, diminish, or otherwise explain away their accomplishments over and over.

Worse, if as their coach you don’t understand that rather than being an excuse for success, things like luck, timing, connections, and personality actually play a truly legitimate role in success — then nothing will change.

Your clients need to rethink what those factors have to do with their success. And they need your help to do that.

Plus, they do little to counter your client’s belief that “If I can do it, anyone can.”

Or stop them from thinking, “Sure, they said I did a great job; but that’s just because they like me.” 

#2  A success list focuses entirely on the wins

But what happens when your client gets critical feedback? 

Or when they blow the big presentation? 

Or they’re turned down for the job or promotion?

Those are the situations where your client’s impostor feelings will be screaming.

The real purpose of a success list is to boost your client’s confidence.

FACT: PEP TALKS DON’T WORK

Your clients don’t need a pep talk. They need your help.

Like I always say, “If all it took was a pep talk… impostor syndrome would have disappeared long ago.”

In fact, when you focus solely on your client’s successes and strengths, it can actually slow down their progress toward their goals. 

#3  Giving generic advice makes you sound like a generic coach, but also undermines the depth and impact of your coaching

Relying on success lists to help clients with impostor syndrome is just one of the unintentional mistakes even highly experienced coaches make.

But it’s problematic for several reasons:

• Lacks Personalization: Generic advice like listing accomplishments ignores the client’s unique needs, signaling that you’re not fully engaged or tailoring your approach.

• Leans on Superficial Solutions: This advice addresses symptoms, not the root cause, leaving clients with the same underlying insecurities.

• Misses Opportunities for Growth: Relying on standard advice limits the potential for meaningful breakthroughs and deeper client transformation.

• Dilutes Professional Value: If your coaching mirrors generic self-help content, clients may question its value and your expertise.

• Reinforces Impostor Feelings: Focusing on accomplishments can backfire, as clients might downplay their achievements, exacerbating their impostor feelings instead of resolving them.

Along with 25 ICF CCE hours you gain the knowledge, confidence, and credibility to serve your current clients and grow your practice by attracting new ones.

Get the details here.

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.