How to manage imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a common problem in the modern workplace, particularly for women

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Management Today

Climbing the ranks in the workplace should leave chiefs feeling god-like, all-knowing and elated from a decade’s worth of hard work and dedication coming to fruition. Sadly, for some – especially women – the step up is overshadowed by self-doubt. Research has found that 75% of executive women report having personally experienced impostor syndrome at certain points in their career.

However, if you are a woman, those feelings are ‘warranted’, says Amali de Alwis, CEO of Subak, because women are often made to feel like outsiders. Instead of trying to convince women ‘to step up or be pushier’, she thinks those in charge should look at the behaviours they’re rewarding at their firms. “I read a recent LinkedIn post about a woman who was told she had no leadership qualities by her boss. She took a real knock from that but then, thankfully, moved into a new role where a couple of senior female clients supported and encouraged her. She now runs a company.

“So, when people talk about impostor syndrome, it’s warranted in a way. If someone is made to feel an outsider, and that they can’t be part of important conversations, it’s no wonder they feel out of place and unsure about their abilities – but imposter syndrome is not a malady; it’s not an illness that someone has that needs to be treated. It’s the system that is ill.

“In a nutshell, how we view leadership is flawed. We have such a set mindset around what a leader should look like, how they should behave and what they should do. The ‘tech bro’ philosophies of ‘move fast and break things, break people, break everything as long as you make money’, doesn’t drive long-term success. I don’t believe that’s good leadership but the tragedy is that we still reward a lot of that toxic behaviour. 

“Instead, we need to think about how an organisation drives success – that’s not just by being aggressive, or having one particular type of identity. People need to become smarter about identifying what good leadership looks like, rather than rewarding a single type of behaviour which doesn’t always actually deliver good outcomes.”