Imposter syndrome can shake your confidence, but being underqualified for your job may actually give you an advantage over your more confident peers.
It’s no wonder that imposter syndrome − the feeling that your work achievements are undeserved and that you are likely to be exposed as a fraud – has long been perceived by those experiencing it as harmful to their success. Believing you’re unworthy of your accomplishments and that someone will eventually see through your charade naturally adds an unwanted layer of pressure to the workday.
But according to recent findings from Basima Tewfik, assistant professor of Work and Organization Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the behaviours that ‘imposters’ exhibit in an attempt to compensate for their self-doubt can actually make them good at their jobs.
By leaning into the feelings of inadequacy – rather than trying to resist or overcome them – and putting extra effort into communication, imposters can actually outperform their non-imposter peers in interpersonal skills. What this means, says Tewfik, is that a trait most people dislike in themselves may in fact be motivating them to perform better.
The imposter cycle
According to the International Journal of Behavioral Science, more than 70% of people are affected by workplace imposter thoughtsat some point in their lives. And while specific workplace pressure-points vary across careers, the internal symptoms typically remain the same.
Imposters have perfectionist tendencies, harbouring a secret need to be the very best at what they do. When they are unable to fulfil their perfectionist goals, “imposters often feel overwhelmed, disappointed, and overgeneralise themselves as failures”. A cycle thus emerges in the workplace that causes imposters to forbid themselves from accepting positive feedback on their work.
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