By Jodi Goglin, SVP Global Implementations & Operations Transformation, Ensono How leaders can identify and eradicate this persistent psychological phenomenon and its impacts on their employees, their colleagues and themselves.
Coined over 40 years ago, “imposter syndrome” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as, “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.”
When I first heard about imposter syndrome, something clicked. It was as if all my years of watching highly capable people hide from their accomplishments had been wrapped up into a neat, short phrase. The feelings of inadequacy associated with imposter syndrome have been recognized among both men and women, and in many professional settings.
That said, they are particularly intense among high-achieving women in industries and fields stereotyped by high levels of competence or intelligence, where individuals feel the pressure to represent their entire demographic. Imposter syndrome isn’t a recognized psychiatric disorder. Instead, it’s attributed to external factors that undermine internal belief systems, and it’s common in biased or inequitable cultures—such as male dominated industries.1 If this sounds very much like the tech world, that’s no coincidence.
1Pauline Rose Clance & Suzanne Imes, “The Imposter Phenomenon in High-Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention,” Psychotherapy Theory, Research and Practice, Fall 1978. 2“Women in the Workplace 2022,” LeanIn.Org and McKinsey.com, October 2022. 3“Women in Tech Survey 2023,” Women in Tech, December 2022.
To understand the best ways to deal with imposter syndrome amongst talented women in tech, it is essential to understand the context of their experiences. It’s a fact that women are acutely underrepresented in the tech industry, with 32 percent of women in technical and engineering roles reporting that they are often the only woman in the room.2 This is likely why women in tech face higher levels of inequality. Research from the Women in Technology Survey 2023 revealed that 76 percent of respondents have experienced gender bias or discrimination in the workplace at least once in their tech career.3
Women in tech roles are also more likely to have their knowledge and judgment questioned. It’s the wider societal issues that lead to a greater number of women in tech experiencing imposter syndrome. Each negative experience chips away at self-worth, and the subsequent internalization of toxic narratives only exacerbates self-doubt. The stress that can plague employees with imposter syndrome can have a profoundly negative effect on mental and physical health. Negative effects include:
4Clare Josa, “How Is Imposter Syndrome Affecting Business? And What Can We Do About It?” 2019. 5“60% of women put off starting a business due to imposter syndrome,” NatWest Group, 2019.
Workaholism – Workaholism or “toxic productivity” (overworking at the expense of other areas of your life), is one of the key effects of imposter syndrome cited by a group of women in tech we sat down with to discuss their experiences. The worry of whether or not they are doing a good job often leads to feelings of not doing enough, so they fall into the trap of working unhealthy hours. In the long run this can lead to burnout as well as myriad physical and mental health consequences.
Reinforcing the glass ceiling – Although both men and women can struggle with imposter syndrome, they do deal with it differently. Where men tend to internalize their feelings and “push through” their emotions (often leading to greater physical damage in the long term), women are more likely to mask their imposter feelings by dismissing praise or sharing achievements with the wider team. In one study, over 40 percent of women in senior positions cited imposter syndrome as a reason why they have consciously chosen not to apply for a promotion that they knew they deserved.4
Holding back careers – Lack of faith in their professional skills is silencing women’s careers. Research from NatWest Group has shown that 28 percent of working women feel like imposter syndrome has stopped them speaking in a meeting. 5 Women we interviewed described several of their own experiences of being spoken over and interrupted, ideas ignored, and achievements underplayed.
Women in technical roles are already the exception rather than the rule, let alone women in technical leadership positions. Imposter feelings prevent women from reaching for the next level, which means younger women contemplating a future in tech have fewer role models to aspire to. When employees’ voices are stifled, so are their ideas. Fear of failure may be preventing talent, men and women alike, from taking strategic, valuable risks—putting their employers at a competitive disadvantage.
Doubting other areas of their lives – For women in general, particularly working mothers, life is a constant battlefield of high-reaching expectations and judgements from society. A key part of our discussions that really stood out to me was how those expectations for many manifested in early life. We discussed how girls are taught to be the bigger person and not to fail. Fast forward to motherhood, and working mothers are expected to parent like they don’t have a job, and work like they don’t have a child. Such high expectations instilled from a young age means that trying to juggle various aspects of work and life can lead to the feeling that they are underperforming in both.
Previously, imposter syndrome was written off as a personal problem to fix rather than a symptom of deeper root causes. Having doubts and anxieties does not make anyone a failure, nor do these valid feelings stem from simple low confidence.
Leaders and people managers of all levels have a responsibility to not only help identify imposter syndrome within their teams but also create a culture that blocks imposter feelings from developing in the first place. Doing so will be vital to developing and retaining women talent in tech. Here are five good places to start:
1) Provide 360-degree feedback – Mitigate doubt and pessimistic self-assessments by ensuring your organization has a process for collecting feedback up, down and sideways. Coach all employees on how to give valuable feedback (both positive and constructive), in ways that align with objective terms like your company values or core competencies.
2) Encourage specialization – There is always something new to learn (or relearn) in tech, but no one person can be an expert in all aspects of hardware, software, security, etc. To help employees ward off feelings of inadequacy, highlight the power of becoming a specialist in one or two disciplines. Striving to become the go-to expert in a particular subject matter, rather than knowing a little bit about a breadth of topics, can stoke confidence and provide focus.
3) Encourage both mentors and sponsors – Mentorship can help combat imposter feelings, as long as mentors are chosen with care. Pairing individuals with mentors from other teams or departments can take the pressure off the relationship and allow the mentor to provide objective, skills-based guidance. Take this a step further by looking for opportunities to serve as an employee’s sponsor. For women in tech, a sponsor who will actively go to bat for their expertise and potential—and not merely dole out advice—can open critical doors.
4) Make yourself vulnerable – According to nearly half of women executives in a KPMG study, having a supportive manager was a key factor toward minimizing feelings of imposter syndrome.6 As uncomfortable as it may seem, executives and managers can normalize imposter feelings by opening up about their own challenges. Sharing your own wins and failures, or not-so linear paths to success, demonstrates empathy and dispels the idea that an employee is the lone fraud hiding in a pack of achievers.
5) Foster peer connection – In addition to regular candor from leaders, outlets for peers to decompress and share experiences can help employees work through challenging points throughout their career. These might be internal company programs such as employee resource groups, or cohorts based on department or start date. They can also be external communities such as trade associations or industry Slack channels. Creating opportunities for employees to “find their people” ensures they always have a neutral sounding board, and a place to hear perspectives from folks who have walked similar paths.
6“Advancing the Future of Women in Business: The 2020 KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report,” KPMG.
Imposter syndrome should not be dismissed as a fad or a distraction.It is likely to affect talent across your C-suite, your engineering teams, your client managers and everywhere in between. It can have a deep-seated impact on your employees’ wellbeing and mental health and, subsequently, a negative effect on company performance. But with the right care and attention, we can learn to identify imposter behaviors and feelings in ourselves and our teams. More importantly, we can create environments where our people—women in tech in particular—see their value, embrace new opportunities and forge a path for the next generation.
