The Discussion Around Imposter Syndrome is All Wrong

Imagine telling someone they don't have what it takes their entire life, only to tell them they have a syndrome when they start to believe you.

First coined imposter phenomenon. Imposter Syndrome is a psychological experience of intellectual and professional fraudulence (Clance and Imes, 1978; Matthews and Clance, 1985).

Individuals experiencing imposter syndrome believe others have inflated perceptions of their abilities and fear being evaluated. In other words individuals experiencing the imposter phenomenon often attribute their successes to luck. All evidence (including adoration,  accolades and accomplishments) points to being a complete badass, but a pesky internal voice screams "you're not good enough and everyone knows it." Imposter Syndrome can and does affect all communities, however women of color are disproportionately affected. Let's look at an example:

What’s happening? Employee feels inept. A lack of confidence fuels feelings of inadequacy, but fears of being labeled a fraud prevents the employee from seeking support. 

Explanation we’re given: The employee is a perfectionist unable to handle sustained pressure.  Personal insecurities manifest as workplace anxiety.

What’s actually happening: Systemic biases and racism in corporate America, academia, etc. result in microaggressions, micromanaging, and repeated admonishment that creates and/or exacerbates workplace insecurities.    

Successful leadership has been defined through a cisgendered, white male perspective. Racism, misogyny, classism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, you name it, all play a role in our perceived leadership capability. An imposter is a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others. In a world where showing up authentically can severely limit our potential "Lack of Imposter" Syndrome may be a better name. 

The bottom line is imposter syndrome is VERY real, but the true solution has never been more self-love. 

It is time we reshape how we understand and how we treat imposter syndrome. The entire burden should not be placed on the individual. The shame that comes with feeling like an imposter is not self-imposed.