Feeling Like An Imposter Shouldn’t Be A Syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome is a term that gets discussed about a lot (unfortunately) in women’s circles. To break it down, imposter syndrome is…

Written By Neha Reddy Kuthuru

Imposter Syndrome is a term that gets discussed about a lot (unfortunately) in women’s circles. To break it down, imposter syndrome is defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. In a nutshell, you are successful at work but you feel like a fraud. But it is surprising why it has been called a ‘syndrome’ when the word syndrome suggests something medicalised. We should perhaps call it imposter feeling(s) instead.

People with imposter syndrome feelings are found to have a tough time internalising their accomplishments, however successful they are in their field. And women are more susceptible to these feelings because of unconscious biases around gender and leadership.

Feeling like an imposter is as real (and normal) as it gets and can hit women in any stage of their career. We think we aren’t qualified for a job, a promotion, a raise (and the list goes on..) but the thing is no one actually is and you’re definitely not alone. Most people are riding heavily on ‘fake it till you make it’ and that’s the big secret. You are, however, more qualified than anyone else to do the things that make you unique and that you can add value to.

At leap.club, we hosted a masterclass last month with Megha Chawla, Partner, Bain & Company, to talk all things about feeling like an imposter at the workplace. And here are some of our learnings from the session -

• Acknowledging is the opening gambit. Track your thoughts to understand what they are and when do they emerge.

• Rewire your thoughts. And make confidence boosting thoughts more natural.

• Learning > Performing. A learning centric mindset will help deal with failure better by making it a part of the learning curve.

• Focus on subtle (yet effective) ways of self promotion — share your experiences with a colleague/s who you trust, take active pauses to celebrate milestones.

Dear women, don’t let imposter feelings stop you from leading your best possible professional life. It’s time to fix the game, not the players.

Take charge of your professional growth now.

Join our waitlist at www.leap.club.