Top 3 Strategies to Combat Imposter Syndrome
Last month, I shared key findings of SHAMBAUGH Leadership’s new research on women in the pipeline. The study showed that while self-confidence is the most commonly cited factor for women’s success, too many women still suffer from imposter syndrome, believing they aren’t talented or capable enough. We also discovered through this research that while confidence levels vary among women of different ethnicities, all women regardless of race can benefit from learning and leveraging effective strategies to combat imposter syndrome.
These are the top three strategies that can help combat imposter syndrome from my book, It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor:
Rewrite Self-Limiting Narratives
In my book, I refer to negative self-talk as a “sticky floor” for women, which refers to things we do that may hold us back from reaching our true potential. The upside of sticky floors is that since we may do these things ourselves, we also have the power to decide to do something different. Your personal narrative—the story you tell yourself in your mind about your own abilities—is powerful. When you hear yourself thinking in a self-limited way, recognize that it’s only mental chatter, not the truth.
Instead of telling yourself that you aren’t as qualified as others or you don’t deserve recognition or success, remind yourself that it’s normal not to know everything, and that success involves taking small steps to learn and grow along the way. Seek and be open to constructive feedback that can help you combat those self-limiting narratives that feed into imposter syndrome. One-on-one coaching can help to expand your self-awareness and provide practices to identify and leverage your strengths, which can be an effective confidence booster.
Form Your Own Board of Directors
In a company, a board of directors considers important companywide issues and advises on these topics to steer the organization. Members of a corporate board of directors might weigh in on matters such as strategic planning, mergers, and hiring of upper management. Board members also can help identify company objectives and define the organization’s overarching goals.
Women can build on these best practices to help combat impostor syndrome by creating a personal “board of directors” for career advice and guidance. Your goal should be to create and tap into relationships with people who know your best self and can reinforce your unique strengths. If selected thoughtfully, your board of directors can be a truthful sounding board and help advocate for your advancement. Your board can also help you build and capitalize on your political savvy to navigate difficult situations that might hold you back.
Ask Your Manager for What You Want
Know that you need to be your own advocate for things you want and need. This starts with having the courage to identify what you want and asking your direct supervisor for it. While other key players in your organization—such as HR or people on the leadership team—may influence aspects of your advancement, it’s really your direct manager who has the most pull to determine if and when you’ll receive opportunities and promotions.
Asking the right questions is critical to this process. Use a collaborative approach to this conversation by focusing not just on your own goals, but also on what could turn this into a win for your boss and help reach company goals. Understanding how your boss defines success—and determining how you can both can do well—can help you avoid a one-dimensional ask, which may backfire.
While women can work on taking the three steps above to avoid sticky floors, we ultimately want to move beyond having to “fix” women’s imposter syndrome at an individual level. Instead, we should continue to increase leadership accountability for embracing a more inclusive and equitable organizational culture. By working together, we can all invest our energy and time into building cultures that value individualism and inclusion—and that take a zero-tolerance approach toward gender bias and racism—which are what generate and fuel imposter syndrome in the first place.
If you or your team have advice for women in leadership that you’d like to share or questions you’d like to ask about this topic, please reach out to me at info@shambaughleadership.com.
Link to SHAMBAUGH’s offerings on Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Coaching and Development Programs for Women, Keynotes and Fireside Chats.
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Rebecca Shambaugh is a recognized author and speaker on leadership best practices. She is president of SHAMBAUGH Leadership, founder of Women in Leadership and Learning, and author of the bestselling books It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor. Read Rebecca’s best-selling Harvard Business Review article “To Sound Like a Leader About What You Say and How and When You Say It.
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