CHARLENE PEDRO
Dear AFETT,
This makes no sense, I know, but the more promotions and accolades I get in my work life, the more I question my capacity and capabilities.
Sometimes I wonder why I am trusted to take on big projects when I don’t even trust myself.
I always feel like I am one decision away from messing up royally.
I try to rationalise it by telling myself that if I have done it before, I can do it again, but most times those words feel empty and hollow.
How can I stop constantly doubting myself for no good reason?
Dear Jane,
Have you ever said to yourself – "I’m really not capable of doing this," or "Everyone here is so much smarter than me"?
This self-talk of self-doubt is, arguably, a major roadblock on women’s journey to the C-suite.
Many women, like you, feel daunted as they pursue senior roles and climb the corporate ladder. They feel uncomfortable, unprepared and unqualified.
This mindset of self-inflicted self-doubt despite your accomplishments has a name – the impostor syndrome.
Impostor syndrome is a term coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Dr Pauline R Clance and Suzanne A Imes, referring to high-achieving individuals marked by an inability to internalise their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud.”
Impostorism expert Dr Valerie Young’s research suggests women are more likely to experience feelings of job ineptitude than men because they internalise setbacks as a failure in their ability, rather than considering external factors.
Dr Young, in her book The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, indicates that there are five different types of patterns in people who experience impostor syndrome:
– Expert: You feel you need to have all the information before you get moving. You are constantly looking for a new course to get another certificate. You wouldn't apply for a job if you didn't meet every criterion. You may be hesitant to ask a question or speak up at a meeting for fear of looking stupid.
– Perfectionist: You have extremely high expectations for yourself. You feel you must meet 99.9 per cent of your goals, otherwise you feel like a failure.
– Natural genius: You’re so used to your skills coming easy to you that when you have to work hard, or even struggle, to accomplish something, you think this means you aren't good enough. You feel that's proof that you’re an impostor.
– Soloist: You are so accustomed to flying solo, doing your own thing, that when you have to ask for help you feel you are a failure or fraud.
– Superwoman: You feel you must succeed in all aspects of life and push yourself to prove you are not an impostor. You then feel stressed out if you are not accomplishing your goal.
If you have experienced impostor syndrome, it’s important to note that you are not alone. I too have experienced impostor syndrome.
Up to 82 per cent of people face feelings of impostor phenomenon, struggling with the sense they haven’t earned what they’ve achieved and are a fraud.
Nobel Laureate Maya Angelou said, "I have wr
