Read The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It for Free Online Page A
Authors: Valerie Young
recognize that the impostor syndrome is partof the student experience, and all the more so if you’re in graduate school or belong to any of the other groups covered in this chapter. Just knowing this can go a long way in helping you see your lack of confidence less in personal terms and more as part of the collective student experience. So repeat after me in your most confident voice: I’m a STUDENT. I’m here to LEARN. I’m SUPPOSED to feel stupid!
3. You Work in an Organizational Culture That Feeds Self-Doubt
It is entirely possible, of course, to work in an environment that fosters cooperation and mutual support and
still
feel inept. However, if you happen to be trying to make it in a culture known for eating its own, there’s a greater risk for the impostor syndrome to take hold.
Adversarial organizational cultures are hardly new. Nearly a century ago the distinguished physicist and chemist Marie Curie observed that within her field “there are sadistic scientists who hurry to hunt down errors instead of establishing the truth.”
Take academia. Scholarly debate and rigorous investigation are what motivates many people to pursue a career in higher education in the first place. But what you might not have bargained for, especially if you’re in a highly competitive research setting, is a culture where spirited debate and inquiry can quickly turn hostile and derisive. It can be so intense that physicists at one university refer to these exchanges as “combat physics.”
In fact, Diane Zorn at York University in Canada insists that the less desirable elements of academic culture, such as aggressive competitiveness, scholarly isolation, nationalism among and between disciplines, and lack of mentoring, are
the
reason the impostor syndrome is so rampant on college campuses and not just among students. 2 In the only study in whichmen actually identified
more
strongly with the impostor syndrome than women, the men were university professors. 3
Things are somewhat different in the business world. Here success is measured not by the ability to punch holes in other people’s theories but by your skill at beating the competition and getting promoted. Still, there is no shortage of egos, one-upping, and infighting. Having spent a decade in the corporate world, I’ve seen firsthand how overbearing executives can belittle subordinates, how despite the party line, everyone knows there really is such a thing as a “dumb question,” and how risk taking is acceptable—as long as you always get it right. If the place where you spend most of your waking hours makes you feel stupid or inept, your self-confidence is bound to suffer.
If you feel intimidated or out of your league in your job, stop assuming it’s because you’re not smart enough or sophisticated enough and recognize the ways in which your organizational culture may be contributing to your impostor feelings. Is asking for help—or even information—considered a sign of weakness or a legitimate request? Is admitting a gap in knowledge seen as normal and necessary for learning or as a sign of incompetence? Is perfectionism the unspoken rule?
Only you can decide whether your workplace nourishes your intellect or feeds your insecurities. If you’re in an especially hostile setting, reach out to like-minded colleagues within or across disciplines or fields. Collaborating or even just talking with people who understand and who can validate your work is an effective counterbalance to being in a less-than-supportive environment. If nothing works, take Oxygen Media CEO Gerry Laybourne’s advice: “If they make you feel stupid … move on.” While you obviously can’t change jobs overnight, you would be wise to keep your eyes open and your résumé up-to-date. 4
4. You Work Alone
You can work all by yourself and still feel like a giant fake. In fact, in some ways working alone can cause you to question your competence even more. After all, being your own boss
3. You Work in an Organizational Culture That Feeds Self-Doubt
It is entirely possible, of course, to work in an environment that fosters cooperation and mutual support and
still
feel inept. However, if you happen to be trying to make it in a culture known for eating its own, there’s a greater risk for the impostor syndrome to take hold.
Adversarial organizational cultures are hardly new. Nearly a century ago the distinguished physicist and chemist Marie Curie observed that within her field “there are sadistic scientists who hurry to hunt down errors instead of establishing the truth.”
Take academia. Scholarly debate and rigorous investigation are what motivates many people to pursue a career in higher education in the first place. But what you might not have bargained for, especially if you’re in a highly competitive research setting, is a culture where spirited debate and inquiry can quickly turn hostile and derisive. It can be so intense that physicists at one university refer to these exchanges as “combat physics.”
In fact, Diane Zorn at York University in Canada insists that the less desirable elements of academic culture, such as aggressive competitiveness, scholarly isolation, nationalism among and between disciplines, and lack of mentoring, are
the
reason the impostor syndrome is so rampant on college campuses and not just among students. 2 In the only study in whichmen actually identified
more
strongly with the impostor syndrome than women, the men were university professors. 3
Things are somewhat different in the business world. Here success is measured not by the ability to punch holes in other people’s theories but by your skill at beating the competition and getting promoted. Still, there is no shortage of egos, one-upping, and infighting. Having spent a decade in the corporate world, I’ve seen firsthand how overbearing executives can belittle subordinates, how despite the party line, everyone knows there really is such a thing as a “dumb question,” and how risk taking is acceptable—as long as you always get it right. If the place where you spend most of your waking hours makes you feel stupid or inept, your self-confidence is bound to suffer.
If you feel intimidated or out of your league in your job, stop assuming it’s because you’re not smart enough or sophisticated enough and recognize the ways in which your organizational culture may be contributing to your impostor feelings. Is asking for help—or even information—considered a sign of weakness or a legitimate request? Is admitting a gap in knowledge seen as normal and necessary for learning or as a sign of incompetence? Is perfectionism the unspoken rule?
Only you can decide whether your workplace nourishes your intellect or feeds your insecurities. If you’re in an especially hostile setting, reach out to like-minded colleagues within or across disciplines or fields. Collaborating or even just talking with people who understand and who can validate your work is an effective counterbalance to being in a less-than-supportive environment. If nothing works, take Oxygen Media CEO Gerry Laybourne’s advice: “If they make you feel stupid … move on.” While you obviously can’t change jobs overnight, you would be wise to keep your eyes open and your résumé up-to-date. 4
4. You Work Alone
You can work all by yourself and still feel like a giant fake. In fact, in some ways working alone can cause you to question your competence even more. After all, being your own boss
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