Imagine you’re looking back at everything you have achieved over your career but there’s a little voice at the back of your head that keeps asking "have I earned all of this, or was it a stroke of luck?". The little voice won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who has encountered imposter syndrome, and it often pops up during times of transition such as a new job or receiving a promotion. For some, it lingers persistently.

Imposter syndrome is an internal struggle where achievements are dismissed as mere luck rather than skill or true accomplishment. It’s often accompanied by fear of being a fraud or eventually being ‘found out’. When it hits, it can feel like you’re the only person in the room who is experiencing it, but we’ll let you in on a little secret - you are far from alone. Look at the most confident person in your team or the most accomplished leader – there’s no doubt been times when they’ve experienced imposter syndrome too. The biggest difference is whether you allow it to hold you back from challenges and opportunities, or shift your mindset to learn, grow and succeed.

Imposter Syndrome > Growth Mindset

Organisational Psyschologist, Adam Grant, said “The highest form of self-confidence is believing in your ability to learn” and we couldn’t agree more.

So how do you take thoughts of being an imposter and instead shape them into a mindset that allows you to grow and learn? We’ve talked before about reframing negative thoughts when you encounter them at work, and a version of this process can be used to counteract imposter syndrome as well. Reflecting on your thoughts with intention will allow you to identify limiting thought patterns and help you reframe your perception of them to help you move past them successfully.

We’ve used the following framework with leaders at all levels of business to help them monitor and reshape their thought patterns. When we actively change our cognitions, our behaviours are also likely to change.

1.  When you start to feel a sense of self-doubt, note down what may have triggered you. What are you thinking and feeling? For example, “I only landed this client due to luck” or “I don’t have enough experience to do this”

Evaluate the accuracy of the thoughts, feelings, and assumptions you noted down. Is there actual evidence to support your negative claims? Acknowledging the difference between feelings and reality by writing a list of your skills, qualities, and accomplishments can help disprove limiting beliefs you have about yourself.

2.  Assess the probability of the worst possible outcome of what you are thinking and feeling, and reframe your cognitions. Often, we favour information that conforms to our existing beliefs and disregard evidence that does not, so make sure you are honest and objective.

For example, if the negative thought and outcome is “I only landed this client due to luck so I won’t be able to book another client like this again”, the cognitive reframing could be “That’s ok because there are many other clients I can pitch to and win”. Another example is “Someone at work thinks I don’t know what I am talking about and I don’t have the skills or experience to do this job”. Cognitive reframing of this thought could be “This is an unlikely thought that someone is having, and even if they did, my leader knows I have capability to do this job. In the event I feel I don’t know enough about a particular area, it would be a great opportunity for me to learn”.

Tracking your thoughts over a period of time will help expose patterns and shift the narrative of the little voice to keep it from holding you back.