Jennifer Morgan, a partner in King & Spalding’s Real Estate Private Equity practice, introduced Dr. Young to a packed audience that included high-profile attendees from banks, private equity funds, asset managers, rating agencies and other financial institutions. Following Dr. Young’s talk, Carmen Lawrence, the co-lead of King & Spalding’s Securities Enforcement and Regulation practice, gave closing remarks. The talk was followed by a reception during which all the wines served were made by female winemakers.

IMPOSTOR SYNDROME DEFINED

Dr. Young began by noting that in a group, people are more willing to follow the confident person rather than the competent person, but there are some people who do not feel confident even though they are competent. The “impostor phenomenon” in psychology is defined as when an individual does not feel as qualified, intelligence and capable as other people think she is, even when there are clear facts that prove her competence. Someone with impostor syndrome tends to explain away her own success by attributing it to other factors, such as timing, luck, connections and likability – or even more far-reaching explanations such as having a common name or having their application mixed up with someone else’s. Although women are more likely to suffer from impostor syndrome, it is not uncommon in men as well.

According to Dr. Young, the source of these feelings of fraud may come from messaging or expectations set at a young age, such that learning that nothing less than perfection is acceptable or, on the other hand, being told everything you do is remarkable. As adults, individuals with impostor syndrome may lack the sense of belonging that fosters confidence in their work environment. Being one of a few (or even one of the only) people who look a certain way or talk a certain way in the workplace may cause feelings of alienation or intimidation that prevent the individual from feeling comfortable speaking up. For example, Dr. Young cites that first generation college students are more susceptible to impostor syndrome and are more likely to drop out. Certain organizational factors, such as the shaming culture prevalent in the field of medicine, for example, may increase the likelihood of impostor syndrome. The common source of imposter syndrome in all of these situations is the experience of shame connected to failure.

COMPETENCE TYPES

Dr. Young explained that each person feels shame differently depending on how they define competence. The five competence types she listed are: (1) the perfectionist, who believes that the quality of her work has to be 100% outstanding every time; (2) the expert, who believes that acquiring a greater quantity of knowledge and understanding everything is necessary before speaking up; (3) the natural genius, who believes that struggling to master a skill proves her incompetence; (4) the soloist, who believes that her achievements only count if she does it herself; and (5) the super woman, who feels the need to perform at a high level in all domains of life.

According to Dr. Young, these beliefs can lead to coping mechanisms, such as flying under the radar, procrastination, never starting or finishing a project, over-preparing and overwork. These coping mechanisms can be unconscious patterns of behavior which are designed to protect the individual from immediate criticism, humiliation or disappointment. Over time, however, these behaviors may result in regret, financial costs, missed opportunities and negative impacts on other aspects of life outside of work.

TOOLS TO OVERCOME IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

Although talking about it is the first step, Dr. Young recommended several other tools for overcoming impostor syndrome:

1. Normalize the feeling: Dr. Young cited the statistic that 70% of people feel this way sometimes. The only difference between those with impostor syndrome and those without is that they are thinking different thoughts in the same situations.
2. Reframe: Make the goal to talk yourself down faster by rethinking failure, mistakes and criticism, and competence and fear. When failure happens, disappointment is acceptable but shame should not be. Resiliency is what ultimately matters, and constructive criticism should be viewed as a gift. Additionally, Dr. Young suggested that the audience strive for excellence but forgive themselves for imperfections. The key is to not know with confidence and feel both entitled and comfortable asking questions. Finally, Dr. Young encouraged the audience to normalize fear and channel fear into excitement.
3. Keep going: Dr. Young suggested that each person stretch and do things regardless of how confident they feel. Changing thoughts and behaviors takes time and eventually leads to confidence.

Above all, Dr. Young noted in closing that imposter syndrome does not just affect the individual, but organizations as a whole. It is important to keep reaching for higher goals, since everyone loses when bright people play small.