How Impostor Syndrome Might Just Be Your Competitive Edge

Written by: Rachel Maga, President & Owner

I recently had a call with the incredibly inspirational Beth Caldwell. She said things like, "Rachel, you have built an incredible business," "you have an abundance of successes already," and "you are such an inspiration to the people around you." She quickly noticed me getting uncomfortable when she said these things.

I replied, "our successes do not stem from me. We grow because we have the most talented team in the city! I'm just lucky they chose to work at our agency." She asked, "but what about all the high-profile brands and professional athletes you represent? That is very impressive." I again quietly responded, "I don't know why I am given these opportunities, I don't feel deserving of them, but I am incredibly appreciative of them."

Since day one of Ten Four Social, I have always felt the need to find an experienced, well-educated, highly successful business person to be a partner with me to grow the agency. I've told myself I needed this person because I'm still learning as I go, and that's not good enough.

I can honestly say, thanks to Beth Caldwell and a ton of research into Impostor Syndrome, I've learned that I'm certainly not the only person who feels like this!

Impostor Syndrome is an all-too-familiar struggle for women in business. Despite overwhelming evidence of our skills, talents, and achievements, we still feel like we don't deserve any recognition.

What Is Impostor Syndrome?

Dr. Pauline Rose Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes first theorized about Impostor Syndrome in 1978. In their journal article, the psychologists state that women who experience it "maintain a strong belief that they are not intelligent; they are convinced that they have fooled anyone who thinks otherwise."

You are not alone. 

If you think these same thoughts, know you are not alone. Instead, you are among some of the most successful and well-respected women.  

"Every time I was called on in class, I was sure that I was about to embarrass myself. Every time I took a test, I was sure that I had done poorly. And every time I didn't embarrass myself — or even excelled — I believed that I had fooled everyone again. One day soon, the jig would be up… this phenomenon of capable people being plagued by self-doubt is the Impostor Syndrome. Both men and women are susceptible to the Impostor Syndrome, but women tend to experience it more intensely and be more limited by it." —Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO

"I have written 11 books, but each time, I think, 'Uh-oh, they're going to find out now. I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out." —Maya Angelou, Author

"The beauty of the Impostor Syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: 'I'm a fraud! Oh God, they're onto me! I'm a fraud!' So, you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud." —Tina Fey, Actress

How to turn Impostor Syndrome into your competitive edge: 

• You will have the drive to learn to do something new constantly. 

Impostor Syndrome tells us we are not smart enough to take on a new opportunity. Therefore, we are focused on reading countless books, listening to every podcast we can find, and taking notes on every further discussion to go back to refresh our knowledge. 

Try it yourself: take a blank piece of paper and write down essential information you have gained. Below that, write your most significant accomplishments in your academic and professional career that relate to this topic. 

Now read it back and ask yourself:

If a friend were to educate me with this information and tell me all of her accomplishments, would I be impressed and believe she is deserving of this role? What if she didn't believe me when I told her she was deserving? What would I say to tell her she is qualified?

• Only allow for a growth mindset. 

Impostor Syndrome has us looking at our failures to remind us why we don’t believe we can live up to others' expectations. Once we let go of perfectionism and welcome a growth mindset, we will be able to see and internalize our accomplishments. 

If you're not growing, you're dying. The most successful people in the world have a deep need for growth that pushes them to leave their comfort zone searching for new things.

Try it for yourself: when you don't meet your standards, remove the word failure and replace it with ‘it was an opportunity to learn and grow’. Ask yourself, did we learn from the outcome? Are we better because of the outcome? Maybe you aren't better today, but you will be stronger because of this six months from now. 

• Operate outside of our comfort zone. 

When I leave my comfort zone and enter an unfamiliar space that is questioning my ability, THAT is where all the "magic" tends to happen. I remind myself this feeling of Impostor Syndrome tells me I'm on the verge of something exciting on the other end of that discomfort. 

Try it for yourself: Recognize when Impostor Syndrome is causing you to doubt yourself. If you do not allow for complacency and you are doubting if you should be pushing the boundaries, let this be your fuel and dive in!

OR do you think you have made too many mistakes in the past, so you are undeserving of leaving your comfort zone? If this is the case, try clearing your mind and reflect on your accomplishments. Repeat to yourself why you ARE deserving of this. 

• You are developing a strong personal brand voice.

You likely have questioned if you should voice your opinion or concern. You may not have felt deserving to speak up to share your insight. This probably has caused you to hold back, but I am here to tell you that you are not always the best person, but you are the only person with your viewpoint and knowledge. If you are in the conversation, there is a reason. The best insight comes when many voices emerge with confidence, taking away the right/wrong and better/worse binaries. 

Try it for yourself: Next time you feel uncomfortable sharing your opinion out loud, write it down and share it one-on-one with someone in the group. Get their feedback, and next time, you might find you will be too excited to hold it back! 

• You are finding creative paths to conquer the unachievable. 

Whenever I feel the symptoms of Impostor Syndrome coming on that I can't shake, I dive into a daunting task that seems unachievable. This can be an item that has been on your to-do list for months. For me, it's taking time to build out a new studio. 

Small tasks that everyone can do result in high expectations for success. Big tasks that seem unattainable means there's an expectation of failure, and I find that empowering. Freed from the fear of failure, I can focus on going the extra mile to find creative paths to conquer the unachievable. 

Try it for yourself: 95% of your goals should be realistic. These goals should be set with an understanding of the energy, resources, and time needed to accomplish them. Setting unrealistic goals will bring out symptoms of Impostor Syndrome. Try following the S.M.A.R.T method: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

But, for the other 5%, reach for the stars. Your confidence will become brighter and stronger when you accomplish just one of them.

Don’t forget to celebrate your successes.

We tend to not only brush off our accomplishments, but I know I am embarrassed to share them. Try this: next time someone congratulates you, don't move on too fast. Think through what is happening. At that moment, an individual went out of their way to share that they were impressed with you! Pay attention to how you respond and aim to speak more positively about yourself, which will get you one step closer to internalizing your success.

Before reading this, you may have lived by, "Fake it 'til you make it." Well starting today and every day after, I hope you tell yourself, "Fake it 'til you believe it, because you already are it."