What do Lady Gaga and Tom Hanks have in common? No, not the hairdresser – both are presumed to be affected by Impostor Syndrome. Tom Hanks is a world-famous actor with two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and six Emmy Awards. In an interview, he admits:
‘When are they going discover that I am, in fact, a fraud, and take everything away from me?’
Tom Hanks feels like a cheater? He is plagued by self-doubt and cannot acknowledge his successes. However, not only celebrities are affected, but also ordinary people.
In my last blog post, I went into the exciting details of this phenomenon – here you can read the facts again.
Today we take a closer look at the effects that imposter syndrome has on the careers and everyday working life of those affected.
How Does Impostor Syndrome Influence Everyday Working Life Of Those Affected?
That can be problematic in everyday work and impacts the working behavior. When confronted with professional performance demands, persons affected by the syndrome react with anxiety and self-doubt. Plus, they are afraid of not being able to meet the requirements.
They expect to fail and subsequently respond with two possible coping strategies:
They either work on the task very meticulously and prepare very well.
Or they procrastinate and take care of it at the last moment under significant time pressure. By working extremely hard, the person wants to prevent failure or, just in case, can attribute it to time pressure.
Finally, when the task is finished successfully, it will provide just a short relief because both coping strategies do not strengthen the self-esteem.
Instead, the person attributes their achievements to hard work or lucky coincidence.
In addition, people dealing with the syndrome can still not honor their abilities or have any kind of confidence in repeating their success in the future. Instead, a vicious circle of self-doubt, fear of failure, and maladaptive coping strategies will be reapplied.
How Do You Identify Coworkers Or Leaders With Imposter Syndrome?
How Does Imposter Syndrome Affect Careers?
On one hand, people with Impostor Syndrome tend to avoid any task with a high risk of failure. Usually, these are new and complex tasks. Hence, they prefer routine jobs and well-established procedures.
In addition, those affected often remain in positions far below their performance level. Due to their negative assessment of their abilities, they usually do not seek higher-level assignments. Hence, Imposter Syndrome serves as a brake on the way to the top.
On the other hand, people impacted by Impostor Syndrome often shy away from a career change. From their point of view, every new job only increases the probability of failure, which must be prevented first and foremost. But it also means that they slow down their career – because they don’t consider attractive new jobs with growth potential.
Which Coping Strategies Are Useful In Everyday Working Life?
The good news is that those affected do not have to struggle with the annoying effects of Impostor Syndrome and don’t have to accept career restrictions for the rest of their lives.
A reasonable first step in coping is admitting that this phenomenon exists and that you are affected. If you want to check that: There are some excellent psychological tests.
It is also crucial to identify the syndrome as the cause of self-doubt and fear of failure. After that, persons affected must alter their beliefs and behavioral patterns. That is where coaching can deliver good support. In addition to an intensive examination of Impostor Syndrome and its consequences, the person’s self-esteem and self-efficacy will be bolstered, and the fear of failure will weaken.
Another helpful way is to assess the person’s abilities. There are some excellent methods for analyzing a person’s capability, which I often use in my coaching sessions. An objective assessment of one’s potential often enables clients to acknowledge it.
Are you interested in a first conversation? Please get in touch with me.
Take Away
- As a consequence of the Impostor self-concept, people affected consider themselves incompetent and are troubled by self-doubt.
- In their jobs, people impacted by the syndrome react with extreme hardworking efforts and thorough task processing in order to prevent failure at all costs.
- Affected people often limit their career opportunities. The negative self-assessment of their skills and a fear of failure means that they often remain in positions far below their capabilities. In addition, they often do not take advantage of any growth opportunities.
- A suitable coping strategy when dealing with Imposter Syndrome is to admit that one is affected plus the readiness to change. Professional coaching, possibly in combination with a potential analysis, can be beneficial.
Read More
- Zanchetta M., Junker S., Wolf A.-M. & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2020) Overcoming the Fear That Haunts Your Success – The Effectiveness of Interventions for Reducing the Impostor Phenomenon.
- Neureiter, M. & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2017). Two sides of the career resources coin: Career adaptability resources and the impostor phenomenon. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 98, 56-69.
