Marketing Fraud! (Imposter syndrome)

Ever felt like you can’t internalise your own accomplishments? No matter how big or small the win, you somehow convince yourself it was a fluke. That is imposter syndrome.

I’ve spoken about imposter syndrome a few times over the past year, mainly because it’s pretty common in the world of digital marketing, and everywhere else really. Studies suggest that as many as 70% of the public experience Imposter Syndrome at some point in their life.

When we give our negative thoughts too much credence and allow fear to rule our thinking, it can half us in our tracks, preventing would be talented leaders from fulfilling their potential. They key is to keep ‘The Imposter’ at bay by adopting strategies, like the five listed below, to put things in perspective when those inevitable moments of vulnerability strike:

1. Always be in beta

The higher up the ladder you go the more you will encounter situations that you haven’t had to deal with before.  You won’t have all the answers and that’s ok.  Staying flexible and adaptable is critical to modern leadership and that means being prepared to let go of the notion of being perfect.  Taking a ‘beta’ outlook will take pressure off your feeling like you have to be the finished article and leave you open to new learning.  Critically, get yourself a mentor, no matter how senior you are.  They were once where you are now and can be the source of great support and inspiration. After all, there was a time when they didn’t know it all either and probably still don’t now.

2. Beware the voices

If you have Imposter Syndrome, you’ll be familiar with that ‘little voice’ – the one that’s always telling you ‘you’re not good enough’ or ‘everyone will laugh at you’.  Next time you’re caught in its cross-hairs – pay close attention and think about whose voice that is (a critical parent? an overbearing teacher? an adored older sister?).  Our inner critics are often adapted from someone prominent in our childhood whose expectations we felt we had to live up to.  By identifying the source of your little voice it can often diminish its power to the adult you.  Now tell your critic to pipe down.  If you listen carefully, there’s usually a much quieter voice that’s saying, ‘you can do this – it’s ok’.

3. Remember that it’s not all about you

Imposter Syndrome, by its nature, is introspective but as a leader, you set the tone and tenor of your business.  When you walk small – you send a signal to those around you that they should too.  So spend less time looking inward and more time looking outward and focus on having a positive impact on them.  Helping other people is a great way to build self-esteem – the antidote to self-doubt - and if you shine, they’ll shine too.

4. Take Pride

Far from being just unlikely, it’s unthinkable that you’ve got to where you are today on sheer good luck alone.  You’re talented.  And somewhere down the line you’ve taken advantage of the right opportunities, you’ve taken some risks and you’ve worked hard to get to where you are. Many people don’t do that – so it’s ok to deserve the success you have.  Stanners notes that she overcame her feelings of being a fraud when she finally accepted that she was valuable for who she was, “I realized that I brought my own unique set of experiences to the business”.  If you’re still in doubt, write a list of everything you’ve achieved in the last 5 years, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve packed in – and even you will be hard pushed to write it all off to good fortune.

5. Embrace Failure

History is littered with creative geniuses from Mozart to Darwin who were prolific in their failures. According to IDEO’s David and Tom Kelley in their book, ‘Creative Confidence’, the key to their genius, is that they simply did not let failure stop them: “That is the surprising, compelling mathematics of innovation: if you want more success, you have to be prepared to shrug off more failure”.  It’s your willingness to step outside of your comfort zone that marks out successful from unsuccessful leaders.  As Mildenhall notes, ‘those that regularly push beyond their comfort zone have an intense relationship with Imposter Syndrome, we use it as fuel for self development and improvement.’

The fact is that very few leaders are totally immune to self-doubt and some do use it to their advantage, but it matters when we let it hold us back.  When we give fear the power to stifle our potential then we are accepting a smaller version of ourselves. So start thinking of your Imposterism as your internal warning system that you are stepping outside your comfort zone and learn to love that you are pushing out your boundaries.  And next time you find yourself gazing in awe at your super-talented colleague - stop beating yourself up - the chances are they feel as much of a fraud as you.