160. Kick Imposter Syndrome In the Nuts with Prina Shah

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This podcast is for people who know that the workplace can and should be better and are ready to do something about it. You will learn practical ways to change organizational cultures and human behaviour without buzzwords, without box ticking, without performative leadership. I am the boss of Prina Shark Consulting, working with executives, leaders and teams to create work cultures and environments that actually work for people. I am Prina Shah. I specialise in organizational culture change and human behaviour change. I am all about making work better with people who give a damn. So if you think I can help, contact me via LinkedIn. I am here to help you to find decent ways to change the workplace. Let's do this.

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Hello and welcome to this solo episode of the Ways to Change Your Workplace podcast with me, your host, Freena Sha. And I want to get into like I really want to deep dive into the imposter syndrome challenge that the majority of us face, right? So I've been doing a lot of research. So let's get into it. Understanding imposter syndrome. So I've been looking up the definition on the origin of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome first was coined in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Klantz and Suzanne Eimes. And it refers to an internal experience of intellectual fakeness. Fonus. Individuals experiencing this phenomenon often feel that they do not deserve their achievements and live in fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite objective evidence of their success, they remain convinced that they are not as competent as others perceive them to be. Okay? So you believe that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be when you are facing imposter syndrome. Now the prevalence across professions. So this psychological pattern affects individuals in various professions, transcending age, gender, success levels, high achievers across industries, from academia to entertainment. Anybody, everybody often grapples with the feeling of inadequacy, um, demonstrating that imposter syndrome does not discriminate based on accolades or accomplishments. So isn't that fascinating? This funk that the majority of us all share, and we've all had it at some time or another. So the key characteristics and symptoms of imposter syndrome. Common symptoms of impostum syndrome uh imposter syndrome include anxiety, self-doubt, and stress. People may attribute their success to luck or believe that they have deceived others into thinking that they are more capable than they truly are. This mindset can drive a relentless pursuit of perfectionism as individuals try to validate their worth through overworking. The psychological impact of imposter syndrome is quite large as well. There's an emotional toll, so anxiety and stress, as I've already mentioned. So living with imposter syndrome often results in an emotional toll characterized by heightened anxiety and stress. The fear of being exposed as a fraud can lead to mental exhaustion and burnout when you know imposter syndrome is really bad. And that obviously impacts your overall well-being as well. There's effects on your career development also. Imposter syndrome can hinder career development by causing individuals to shy away from promotions, from new opportunities, and from networking. The fear of failure may prevent individuals from pursuing their true potential, leading to stagnation in personal and professional growth. There's a cycle of perfectionism as well. So those grappling with impostor syndrome may find themselves trapped in a cycle of perfectionism. This relentless drive for flawlessness often leads to burnout, dissatisfaction, and creating an environment of constant self-scrutiny. How do we overcome impostor syndrome? I really like the insights from psychologist Adam Grant. So I've taken a few, okay? Adam Grant, uh Adam Grant's take is basically that imposter feelings are not proof that you are a fraud, but they're data that you can use, okay? So there's some key aspects to his thinking. Almost everyone feels it. So he points out that nearly nearly 70% of people report impostor thoughts like, I can't do this, or when will they find me out? Including people who are objectively successful as well. Adam Grant recommends that we use it as fuel and not as verdict. So a little bit of fuel, but not the final, you know, final sentence. So in his TED talk, um, your insecurities aren't what you think that they are. He argues that imposter thoughts can be turned into motivation, a reason to prepare, learn, and improve instead of a reason to shrink or burn out. So it could be fuel to help you to develop and to grow. It might be highlighting some data that you might need uh to develop on, let's say. Okay, so the question becomes how can I let this doubt push me to do better instead of decide that I'm not good enough? What a brilliant reframe. Aim for confident humility and think again, Adam Grant's relate uh really and his related talks, he reframes the ideal state as confident humility. Confident, but not a douchebag, right? With humidity humility. So you're confident with good balance, right? So confident enough to act and share your work, humble enough to question yourself, to seek feedback, and to keep on learning. That's what we all should be doing. Imposter thoughts, handled well, can really nudge you into that sweet spot instead of the overconfident spot. Also, check what voice you trust. Adam Grant has written that imposter syndrome is a paradox because others believe in you, yet you don't believe in yourself, yet you believe your negative self-assessment over the people who see your strengths. That's a bit of a head fuck, yo. His challenge is if you doubt yourself so much, why also doubt why don't you also doubt your self-judgment, you know, that monkey mind, and take others' beliefs as evidence too? Okay. Um, reframing it as I don't know yet is a really good idea. So imposter syndrome, I don't know what I'm doing, it's only a mat matter of time until someone finds out, versus I don't know what I'm doing yet, it's only a matter of time until I figure it out. So the onus is on you rather than, you know, like the other paranoia that comes with uh imposter syndrome. It is better to be doubtful than to be delusional as well. So Adam Grant talks about the inverse problem where confidence exceeds competence, you know, armchair experts and whatnot. So arguing that some self-doubt is actually healthier than obviously being overconfident, but we need to have a pinch of salt. You know, we need to take imposter syndrome and that voice with a pinch of salt. I have a story about an ex-client who I worked with. Uh, I hope she's doing really well. Uh so we did some one-to-one coaching with her, and she had this inner voice, like we all do, and this inner voice was a real imposter voice, I tell you gosh. So, what this coaching client ended up doing is naming that voice, that imposter syndrome voice. She called her Sybil. And she put Sybil aside whenever Sybil needed to be put aside. But sometimes Sybil's alarm bells were actually worthwhile listening to. With a pinch of soul, okay? So you do what works for you. So there's other practical strategies that you can um adapt. Acknowledge your feelings, recognize when you experience imposter syndrome, and accept that these feelings are common amongst everyone, including the super successful. Share your experiences because engaging in open conversations with trusted friends, mentors, or colleagues can provide perspective and help normalize this experience. Another really cool thing, keep a success journal. If you're not journaling already, where are you, mate? Where are you? I have a journal called You Can't Stop a Shooting Star. And I've got a freebie on my website called Um The Free Self-Coaching Guide, which is pretty much fixed itself. And in that, there's a part of it where I keep a success journal as well. And that's really important because documenting your achievements, both big and small, can reinforce your capabilities and counteract that funky feeling of self-doubt. And man, I have it as well. I tell you, I have it. Okay. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity. We're all gonna fuck up at some time or another. Uh, unless, you know, lives are in your hands, then please don't mess up. But understanding that mistakes are a part of growth allows individuals to reframe failures as valuable learning experiences. That's all it is, really, okay? So there's a real importance in addressing our imposter syndrome because it helps to build confidence and self-esteem back again if you've lost it. Confronting imposter syndrome is essential for cultivating confidence, self-esteem, acknowledging and addressing these feelings can foster healthier self-image for yourself as well, and ultimately empowering you to embrace your frigging accomplishments and own it. Okay. Uh, creating supportive work environments, I want to talk to as well. So organizations must also play a role in addressing imposter syndrome by fostering supportive environments, encouraging discussions about self-doubt, recognizing employee contributions, and diminishing stigma associated with imposter syndrome. Now, I really don't like performance management processes because they're pitches against each other. And really, we should be working in a team manner rather than against each other because it's a bit bullshitty. So that that's one issue I have. But consider in your workplace what actually happens to create the imposter syndrome for you. Is it a systemic thing or is it a you thing? There can be lots of reasons, okay? So let me conclude. I I hope I've helped. I hope I've helped. Please let me know. Get in touch with me on LinkedIn or even on my own um website where my podcast is hosted, there's a section where you can get in touch with me to give me your feedback or questions or comments or disagreements, right? I want to hear from you. But let me conclude. Imposter syndrome is a widespread challenge faced by people across various fields and various success levels. By understanding its impact and implementing practical strategies to overcome it, which are different for us all, we can all break free from self-doubt and embrace our achievements like we really should. Remember that self-doubt is a common experience shared by many, many people. And the key lies in recognizing these emotions. Seeking support and striving for personal and professional growth is what it's about. So, by addressing imposter syndrome, you can unlock even more of your full potential and enjoy the fucking success that you deserve, okay? Over and out for me. Imposter syndrome.

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