01/18/2024

Deploy Positivity to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Practice these five habits to do so

Picture this. You are a successful business owner with a thriving company and many stark, raving fans. You have got a great team. Your books are in order. You are on a massive growth trajectory, and you can draw substantial income from the business. It sounds like a pretty great spot in which to be. But now imagine that even with all the prosperity and success coming your way, you feel like a complete and utter fraud deep down inside.

It is called Imposter Syndrome. The term was coined in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in their research paper titled "The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention." Clance and Imes described the experience as the pattern of feeling like a fraud. Or the self-perception that one's accomplishments are the result of luck rather than one's own abilities, most often despite evidence.

Imposter syndrome is surprisingly common among high-level professionals and entrepreneurs. According to a recent NerdWallet survey, a whopping 78 percent of business leaders reported they have personally experienced imposter syndrome in the workplace, resulting in 59 percent of them considering resigning from their positions, even after finding substantial success in their roles. Perhaps not surprisingly, the prevalence of imposter syndrome tends to skew higher in high-stress, competitive environments. It also appears to affect women almost twice as often as men, possibly due to common struggles balancing work and family obligations.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Entrepreneur.