Is There An Imposter Among Us?

The short answer is NO!! You are not an imposter!

At some point in all of our careers, we have questioned whether or not we belong or whether we deserve the job we are working. It's normal (and easy) to identify our own shortcomings, but you are likely the only one to see them!

Adam Grant has tweeted about Imposter Syndrome exposing the irony in it and the growth that you can parlay from it.

WHEN IT'S HARMFUL WHEN IT'S BENEFICIAL

Instead of tearing yourself down, consider these things:

Stop underrating yourself Give yourself credit for the knowledge, skills, and character that you do have. Allow yourself leniency as you recognize that even the "experts" have room to grow and learn in their respective fields of expertise. Part of what makes them an expert is constantly striving to improve their practice rather than stagnating by presuming to have learned it all.

Separate how you are feeling about yourself from the facts about yourself FACT: You earned your position. That's it. Regardless of what you are feeling in this moment, others looked at your resume, assessed your skills, interviewed you for fit within their group, and - ultimately - decided that you were the most likely to be successful in helping them achieve their goals. You proved yourself and your worth to others, now you just need to believe in them (and you!).

Know when you should feel like an imposter

If your field is continuing to evolve and you are not, that is when you should question yourself. When you knowingly shirk opportunities to improve in your field, but continue to stumble along with old knowledge and no desire to learn, THEN you have become an imposter.

Final Thoughts

Learn from your mistakes, learn from other people's mistakes. Learn from your success, learn from other people's successes. Create your own leadership style by replicating what you have liked and NOT perpetuating what you have disliked from your own leaders. None of this makes you a fraud, it makes you a work in progress. Ultimately, when you feel like you're faking it, just trust in others' belief in you and remember that while you may not know something now, it's just a matter of time before you do!