Quick: What do the following people have in common?
- Agatha Christie
- Albert Einstein
- Tina Fey
- Lady Gaga
- Tom Hanks
- Arianna Huffington
- Michelle Obama
- Sheryl Sandberg
- Howard Schultz
- Serena Williams
- Many of us...
Did you answer Impostor Syndrome? That’s the feeling you get if you believe you are being a fraud, and undeserving of praise and accolades. It is when you do not feel as competent as others perceive you to be.
Along with this comes the fear you’ll be found out—despite objective evidence to the contrary.
People who suffer from Imposter Syndrome ask themselves: “Who am I to think that I can…?” or “What gives me the right to…?” And let’s not forget, “Do I deserve this?”
Impostor Syndrome was first identified in high-achieving women in the 1970s. And while it still is more prevalent in women today, men also are prone to having it. The good news is that it disproportionately affects high-achieving people. In fact, people with Impostor Syndrome tend to be:
- Perfectionists — They set high expectations for themselves and beat themselves up if they don’t meet absolutely 100% of their goals. They also fear that any mistake will be proof to others that they’re not good enough.
- Super(wo)men — They push themselves harder than those around them. But if they don’t succeed in absolutely every area of life, they are stressed about failing.
- Natural geniuses — If they have to make an effort to master something, they feel that they’re not smart enough.
- Soloists — They accomplish things on their own, so asking for help is a sign of being incompetent.
- Experts in their field — But they feel inadequate if they don’t know absolutely everything there is to know about everything related to their area of expertise.
Further to that, those with Impostor Syndrome are fearful of success because they think they will fail in a very public way and be exposed as a fraud. As a result, they tend to procrastinate, compromise on their own goals and self-sabotage.
So, if you feel like a fraud on an ongoing basis, it might mean that you are a high achiever. It is estimated that 25% to 30% of high achievers suffer from Impostor Syndrome (while about 70% of adults experience it at least once in their lifetime).
Remember: Real frauds do not have the self-doubt that you have.
If you think you may have Impostor Syndrome, take this test.
How do you combat Impostorism? There are a few basic tactics you can take:
First, think of all these luminaries who have it, and follow their leads. Then, recognize what you do well, and play to your strengths. Review the testimonials, awards, and accolades you’ve been given and think of the accomplishments that precipitated those awards.
Be kind to yourself (because we often are hardest on ourselves and kinder to others); remember that nobody is perfect. And also, have a support system. Talk it out with friends or a therapist.
And, if you would like to hear from respected names in business, sports and entertainment on how they got past their challenges, check out the Imposters podcast from Morning Brew.
Esther Friedberg Karp is an internationally-renowned trainer, writer and speaker from Toronto, where she runs her QuickBooks consulting practice, EFK CompuBooks Inc. Consistently in Insightful Accountant's Top 100 ProAdvisors, she has been named to the Top 10 twice.
A ProAdvisor in three countries, she has traveled the world with Intuit, spoken at QuickBooks Connect in San Jose and Toronto, among other places, and has written countless articles for Intuit Global.
Esther has been named one of the “Top 50 Women in Accounting,” a “Top 10 Influencer” in the Canadian Bookkeeping World, and is a repeat nominee for the “RBC Canadian Women’s Entrepreneur Awards.” She counts among her clients many international companies, as well as accounting professionals seeking her out on behalf of their own clients for her expertise in multi-currency and various countries’ editions of QuickBooks Desktop and Online.
She can be reached at esther@e-compubooks.com or 416-410-0750.
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