Twenty-five Strategies for Preventing, Managing, and Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

Twenty-five Strategies for Preventing, Managing, and Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

As we’ve seen, impostor syndrome is common among high-achieving individuals, healthcare professionals, and leaders—creating a perfect storm for high-achieving leaders in a healthcare organization. Fortunately, there are many things that healthcare administrators, leaders, and managers can do to prevent, manage, or overcome impostor syndrome in themselves and in their employees. Here are 25 strategies you can use:

1. Assess whether you have impostor syndrome. Self-doubt does not necessarily mean that you have impostor syndrome. Clance offers a free online impostor phenomenon assessment test that consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and is self-scored. You, your employees, and your mentees can take it anytime to determine whether you have impostor phenomenon characteristics and if so, to what extent you are suffering from them. Clance’s test is available at https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf .

2. Understand the syndrome. Keep in mind that actual frauds don’t have impostor syndrome. Benisek says, “The very fact that you have impostor syndrome shows that you’re not an impostor.”

3. Stop dismissing your feelings. Don’t try to ignore, disregard, or dismiss your feelings of not belonging and impostorism. Cunci says, “Instead, try to lean into them and accept them.” It’s only when you acknowledge these feelings that you can start to unravel the core beliefs that are holding you back, Cuncic says.

4. Don’t expect too much from yourself. First-time leaders and those who are new to their positions are especially prone to impostor syndrome. Manning-Schaffel says, “Give yourself the grace of building up the confidence you need in the role and allow yourself to sit back and learn from those around you.”

5. Separate feelings from facts. Be on guard against impostoristic feelings, identify them, and be ready with a response. The Cleveland Clinic recommends, “If your mind says, ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about,’ remind yourself that you know more than you think you do and are capable of learning.” Whenever you feel like an impostor, grab a pen and paper, draw a line down the middle, and jot down your feelings on one side and facts on the other. Benisek says, “Realize that they [your feelings] are just emotions. Remind yourself that you are capable of success.” Ibbotson, who uses a similar pen-and-paper exercise with his coaching clients, says that it can help you get out of the “emotional tsunami” that is your fear.

6. Distinguish inexperience from inability. Duszynski-Goodman says, “An important step to dismantling impostor syndrome is to first distinguish feeling inexperienced from feeling like you are undeserving.” Just because you are doing something for the first time does not mean that you don’t belong there or that you are incapable of learning, Duszynski-Goodman says.

7. Welcome more questions. Leaders must put down their defenses and learn how to become comfortable answering questions with “I don’t know.” Friedman says, “Leaders must create a culture of learning, where asking questions is the norm, where a gap in knowledge invites collaboration and sharing — rather than withdrawal and shame.” How can leaders do this? “Conclude meetings with a mandatory round of questions from all attendees,” Friedman says. Also, thank employees who are willing to ask you the most pressing and challenging questions. Mattone says, “Turn questions into tools that help you solve issues.”

8. Say your name aloud. Bennett suggests that the simple act of adding our name to a positive affirmation (for example, “Jessica is awesome”) and speaking it aloud can help us to manage our impostoristic feelings. “And before you get bashful, Bennett says, “LeBron James does it.” According to Bennett, James said “‘I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James’” when he explained his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010. Bennett also says that the Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai used the strategy when she wrestled with her decision to speak out against the Taliban. According to Bennett, Yousafzai asked herself, “If he comes, what would you do, Malala?” Then, she replied to herself, “Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.’’ Bennett suggests that if the strategy of saying our own name aloud is good enough for a top athlete and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, “I’m pretty sure it’s good enough for the rest of us.”

9. Stop comparing. Comparing yourself with others is an unnecessary distraction that will keep you from embracing your own capabilities. Instead, focus on measuring your own achievements. The Cleveland Clinic says, “Turn impostor syndrome on its head: Remember that smart, high-achieving people most often deal with impostor syndrome.” Ironically, the people you compare yourself with and admire may be experiencing impostor syndrome too.

10. Note your strengths and accomplishments. It’s likely that your classmates, peers, colleagues, managers, and employees, and even strangers have pointed out your skills. Mint says, “Revisit all these compliments when you may be feeling discouraged.” Keep tangible reminders of your success in a place where you can see them when doubts start to creep in. The Cleveland Clinic suggests, “When your manager sends you an email recognizing your excellent work on a project, save that email in a special folder.” Hang your diplomas and awards and display cards of appreciation that you receive too.

11. Embrace and model authenticity. Leaders who seek to break the cycle of “faking it” in their organizations must prioritize authenticity. That means that they must create a culture where vulnerability is not viewed as weakness but as a strength. Leaders can set the tone by openly discussing their own challenges and doubts, and by fostering a safe space for others to do the same. Belton says, “In this environment, impostor syndrome loses its power, as individuals realize that they are not alone in their struggles.” Leaders who embrace their authentic selves, acknowledge their limitations, and openly share their journeys empower others to do the same. This authentic form of leadership fosters trust, encourages open communication, and paves the way for more inclusive decision-making processes, Belton says.

12. Get out of your head. Saymeh suggests that rumination, a pattern of circling thoughts, goes hand in hand with impostor syndrome. She suggests that impostoristic feelings will become less powerful when “they aren’t circling.” Do whatever you need to do to stop unproductive rumination. For example, write down your thoughts, go for a walk, engage in an engrossing activity, or practice mindfulness.

13. Define what success looks like. Impostor syndrome means that success is important to you. While doubting your abilities can be harmful, self-awareness is positive. Vistage says, “Use self-awareness to your advantage by asking yourself what, exactly, success looks like. Are there benchmarks for success? How can you ensure that each day, week, month, and quarter are successes? What should success feel like? How will you celebrate success with your team?” Most importantly, how can you achieve the success you’ve defined authentically, without having to fake your way to it?

14. Escape the “I must know everything” trap. Leaders with impostor syndrome often feel that people around them expect them to know more than they do. However, Mattone says, “Admitting that you don’t know everything can be liberating and empowering.” Stop trying to act like an omniscient higher entity. Mattone says, “Being vulnerable and susceptible to making mistakes is profoundly human. Intelligent leadership is not about avoiding failure. It’s about dealing with it constructively and moving towards success.”

15. Assess the evidence. Our self-doubts may not be grounded in reality. To find out, Saymeh suggests that you make a simple two-column list. On one side, list “Evidence that I am inadequate” and on the other side, list “Evidence that I am competent.” Saymeh says, “This list enables you to combat impostor syndrome by collecting, acknowledging, and reflecting on proof of your competency.”

16. Stop the negative self-talk. Shift your negative thoughts when you start telling yourself that you are a fraud. Manning-Schaffel suggests, “We have to interrupt the cycle and replace those maladaptive thoughts with adaptive thoughts and positive messages that make sense for us.” For example, you can tell yourself, “I am confident. I’m doing the best I can. I deserve to be here,” Manning-Schaffel says.

17. Give yourself permission to fail. Accept failure as a natural part of the growth process. Learn from failures what doesn’t work and focus more on what does. Mint says, “Pick yourself up and work harder to reach your career and financial goals.”

18. Use social media cautiously. Overuse and misuse of social media may be related to feelings of inferiority. Cuncic warns, “If you try to portray an image on social media that doesn’t match who you really are or that is impossible to achieve, it will only make your feelings of being a fraud worse.”

19. Note when you’re not feeling like a fake. There will be times when you feel that you do know what you’re doing and that you are being authentic in your role. Take note of these moments. Manning-Schaffel says, “Own the expertise you’ve picked up and lead with it on future goals and projects.”

20. Embrace resilience. A resilient mindset can help you overcome impostoristic feelings. Von Born says, “Resilience is adapting and recovering from setbacks while remaining optimistic instead of letting inexperience or mistakes overwhelm you. It keeps you focused on your goals and potential instead of adversity.” Von Born adds that you also strengthen your resilience by prioritizing your self-care, getting enough rest, exercising, and enjoying activities that bring you fulfillment.

21. Say yes to new opportunities. Leaders with impostor syndrome may avoid new challenges for fear of being found out to be a fraud. Watt says, “Don’t let fear of failure stop you from trying something new. In permitting yourself to fail, you may find new skills.”

22. Don’t fake it, wing it. Reframe the way you describe moments when you must do something when your confidence is not fully there. Ibbotson says, “There’s only so much preparation that you can do for anything. Winging it is a skill set that refers to the ability to assess your situation and judge it accurately.” Winging it also is about being open to learning how instead of pretending to be. Ibbotson says, “It’s about how creatively, on the fly, you’re able to pull your resources together to find a solution to something or improvise.” Reframing faking as winging it will help you develop the confidence you need to trust all you’ve learned over the years, step into the unknown, and believe that everything will work out. Unlike pretending to be what you’re not, winging it is a truthful and healthy way to frame the way you face your challenges.

23. Adopt a growth mindset. A growth mindset offsets self-doubt because it focuses on what you can learn to be an effective leader instead of what you don’t know. Von Born says, “It acknowledges that abilities and intelligence can be developed over time with focus and dedication.” When you believe that you can grow, each day is a chance to work hard, gain new knowledge, and make your mark. Vistage says, “If you felt like an impostor yesterday, that leaves today, tomorrow and the rest of time to prove that you belong” because of your curiosity, drive, and work ethic. “People who adopt a growth mindset see obstacles—like the feeling of being an impostor—as temporary, as things that can be overcome,” Vistage says.

24. Change your culture. Moskal suggests that medical organizations can mitigate impostor syndrome by fostering a culture that allows physicians to express vulnerability and to share personal stories in small group discussions. Particularly, Moskal says, experienced physicians, who often appear to have it all together, can describe their own “failure resumes” for junior colleagues to demonstrate that their role models also have difficulties. He adds, “De-stigmatizing and normalizing help-seeking could also contribute to more professional fulfillment.”

25. Talk to someone. Our irrational beliefs tend to fester when we keep them to ourselves. Therefore, talk to trusted friends or family members who can help normalize your feelings and remind you that your fears aren’t based in reality. Speak to your mentor or a trusted colleague. Or, Benisek suggests, “See a therapist, who can help you develop tactics to overcome impostor syndrome.” A therapist can help you to validate the feelings, fears, and isolation that comes with feeling like an impostor. They can also challenge your negative cognitions of self and help you replace them with positive, affirming statements. Therapy may be especially helpful if your impostor syndrome is causing you anxiety and/or you have long-held beliefs about your incompetence in social and performance situations.

Excerpted from Next-Level Healthcare Leadership: Advanced Topics for Healthcare Administrators, Leaders, and Managers by Laura Hills, DA.